Sachin Waze fallout: More senior cops to be on night patrol in Mumbai

Police stations have been told to ensure that patrol vans move slowly at night so that cops can monitor an area for a longer time

The Sachin Waze episode that led to Mumbai getting a new police commissioner and raised questions about security on the city's streets has forced the department to overhaul its night patrol practice. An officer of the rank of additional commissioner will now be a part of the patrolling machinery.

Under the existing practice, two DCP rank officers are put on night patrolling, with one managing the South and Central regions and the other handling the West, North and East. Each region will now have a DCP on the night duty.

Mumbai has 13 DCP zones and 94 police stations. Officers said all police stations have been instructed to ensure their night officers drive patrol vehicles slowly so that they can monitor an area for a longer time. Joint CP (Law and Order) Vishwas Nangre Patil confirmed the decision. "An additional CP and DCP will be doing night patrolling on the orders of the Commissioner of Police."

Mumbai police came under intense scrutiny after an explosives-laden Scorpio was found near Mukesh Ambani's Antilia home on Altamount road on the night of February 25. The arrest of API Sachin Waze over the case, his role in the alleged murder of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran followed by hafta collection charges brought more taint to the force.

The case sparked a bigger controversy and political drama after former police chief Param Bir Singh was shunted to a new role and Hemant Nagrale took charge as the commissioner. In a major overhaul, he transferred 86 officers of the Crime Branch in an apparent attempt to improve the image of Mumbai police. The new patrolling modalities are also part of the same exercise, said officers.