NEWSLINE:The Opposition BJP today took out a rally to protest law and order situation; Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit raised objections about the situation earlier this week. Does it worry you that the people’s confidence in Delhi Police is at an all-time low?
Y S Dadwal:I think saying all-time low would not be correct. There have been a lot of news reports, and some sensationalisation of crimes, and this has not really brought out the crime situation in the correct perspective. Crime needs to be viewed in the context of three-monthly or six-monthly period, and then compared with crime trends with previous years. Only then can we know variations in crime trend.

Up to July 15 this year heinous crimes have dipped by 8.37 per cent; the drop is 12.87 per cent in case of non-heinous cases. Rape cases have reported a decline of 19.2 per cent. Only murder cases have reported an increase: by 19.5 per cent.

Ultimately the competence of a police force is seen by how it works out its cases — and we have worked out 85 per cent cases. We have done a lot of detection work, which is pushed aside. Just because we have not caught the Bunty gang, it does not mean Delhi Police has failed.

NEWSLINE:It has been days since the bikers killed three youths in south Delhi (last Friday evening), and two days since you announced a reward. Other than putting up barricades and slowing down traffic your men do not seem to have done much…
Dadwal:I am personally not in favour of barricades but this is an exceptional situation because (the) crime had been sensationalised to such an extent that it tended to create public scare. So we thought we had to take that extra step to make sure there is no reoccurrence. The barricading happened just for a day — most of them were (later) removed and substituted by additional police presence on roads. We have 18 companies of police on road at present.

Some inconvenience has been caused and I do realise what people feel about that — I drive myself time to time, and I understand the frustration of drivers.

NEWSLINE:Would you call it a failure of your ‘eyes-and-ears’ scheme of collecting criminal intelligence?
Dadwal:The eyes-and-ears scheme started in January (and) is one component of the criminal intelligence system that we are developing in the city. I had first introduced this scheme in 1990, when I was the joint commissioner (New Delhi range) after a series of bomb blasts in Delhi.

(By getting information from every nook and cranny through this scheme) we want to reach out to everyone — people like hawkers, security guards, and residents among others. Seventy-three cases have already been worked out and it (the scheme) is picking up very well. But it is not a magic wand… not that a gang is striking and suddenly someone will ring up with information.

NEWSLINE:Cases of rape might have gone down but women still do not feel very safe on Delhi’s roads. How do you explain this?
Dadwal:Respect for women indicates the nature of a society. It is a socio-economic problem (and) we are sensitive to it. There has been a continual fall in the number of rape cases. Our working out (cracking) of rape cases was 88.7 per cent last year; it is 93.4 per cent this year.

There has been a 15-per cent decline in molestation cases.

Most rapes take place in certain parts of Delhi — 70 per cent of cases are reported (from) only 45 police station areas, where there has been a lot of unplanned development, slums, unauthorised colonies etc.

Even in New York women walking back are not safe.