Hyderabad GES 2017: Cops post spotters' in mufti to whisk away trouble-makers
Hyderabad: Undercover cops disguised as labourers, drivers or sales executives will be guarding the routes travelled by delegates, and the important places in the city they visit, during the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017.
These “spotter teams” will provide information about the movements of suspicious persons; local police units can then approach the subjects and verify their antecedents.
Spotters are trained police officers drawn from various intelligence units in the state. They wear civilian dress and move among the public.
“A sizeable number of officers are being deployed as spotters. They will be positioned in crowded places and keep a watch on the movement of unsocial elements, abandoned bags, vehicles and attempts to create unrest,” confirmed Director-General of Police M. Mahendar Reddy.
Spotters are generally deployed during terror alerts issued by central agencies, or on communally sensitive occasions.
“They are apart from the general mufti police officers (police officers in civilian dress) who move around in the area but detain or frisk persons moving under suspicious circumstances,” a police official said.
About 10,400 personnel, drawn from the city and state police units, will be deployed for the Metro Rail inauguration and the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 that is being held in the city this week.
Mr Mahendar Reddy promised there would be minimum inconvenience to the public. “Traffic police will work round the clock to ensure no inconvenience is caused to the public.”
Police teams will work in three shifts. Round the clock surveillance will be maintained at all the venues, hotels, and routes taken by the delegates. “Right from arrival to departure of the VVIPs and delegates we will be monitoring the entire activity from a special command and control centre being set up at the DGP office. This apart, the Hyderabad and Cyberabad police will be monitoring from their command and control centres,” he said.
Access control, anti sabotage checks, surveillance cameras and security vetting of staff and workers will be done at the venues and hotels where delegates will stay. Quick response teams will deal with emergencies. He said there were no specific terror alerts to the events.
