Deployment of Private guards for 2010 CWG security

The Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) said that it was planning to deploy 10,000 private security men during the Commonwealth Games. The association revealed that it had held discussions with Indian Olympic Association (IOC) chief Suresh Kalmadi and Delhi Police chief Y S Dadwal regarding the matter about two months ago.

According to Kunwar Vikram Singh, chairman of CAPSI, three areas have been broadly agreed upon where private detectives and guards numbering around three lakh in the city can actually help the government security agencies. ‘‘The first area is a specialized service where detectives will provide intelligence inputs to the police. The modalities of it are yet to be worked out.

The role of the guards has been fixed and they will be deployed at various parking lots and will manage traffic. Delhi traffic police will give us instructions in a two-day camp,’’ said Singh.

The final modalities of the entire operation is likely to be worked out in a two-day global summit on security, scheduled to be held on December 4 and 5 at the Vigyan Bhavan. President Pratibha Patil is expected to inaugurate the summit. ‘‘We are expecting participants from Beijing, which just hosted the Olympics, and Tel-Aviv, which handle security on a day to day basis.

Besides, participants from US, UK, Germany, France and Saudi Arabia are expected to attend the summit. A delegation from Pakistan is also expected. Greg Scott and Siti Naidu will represent the World Association of Detectives,” added Singh. According to Delhi Police sources, there is a shortfall of trained men in the police force. ‘‘We will take our total strength to around 80,000 men before the Commonwealth Games.

Even this number will be less. Hence, we will take help from various volunteers. It is here that private detectives and guards can pitch in since they already have the basic training in handling large crowds,’’ said a senior officer at the police headquarters. Even as the final plans are awaited, some concerns remain. ‘‘We have procured items from the ongoing security expo at Pragati Maidan and they include handheld metal detectors, car bomb detectors and binoculars manufactured in Israel keeping the Games in mind.

We are still not clear whether the CWG organizing committee or the government will foot the bills,’’ said a senior officer who attended the meetings.

Mahesh Chand Sharma, managing director of GDX companies, a security service provider, told TOI: ‘‘At a meeting with senior police officers we proposed that they should set up a panel of private security companies and shortlist from among them as per their needs.

We have started imparting English lessons to our guards and hope to tie up with Boston University to train them before the Games.’’