A security person checks the belongings of a cyclist. File picture

Dec. 16: City police have involved a section of civilians to act as their “eyes and ears” to pre-empt terror attacks like the October 30 serial blasts.

“The serial blasts have served as a wake-up call. After the blasts, there was a greater realisation about the need for everyone to remain vigilant to prevent the next attack,” an intelligence official said today.

“The functioning of city police was adversely affected to some extent due to manpower shortage. In such a scenario, the civilian voluntary informers can be of great help to us in gathering intelligence information,” the official said.

“Moreover, the informers would provide the police a force multiplier that could prevent terror attacks in the future and help bring down the other crimes,” he said.

“The process of involving the civilian voluntary informers in information gathering was initiated about a week ago,” he said.

The section involved by the security agencies includes shop owners, autorickshaw drivers, cycle rickshawpullers, staff of private courier companies, street vendors, private watchmen, barbers, parking lot attendants, bus drivers and conductors, porters at railway and bus stations and local citizens organisations.

“It may be true that the best of intelligence cannot prevent a terror strike, but it does not mean that the police shouldn’t step up security. If we can get specific information, it will certainly make our job easier,” the officer said.

“To win their confidence and to get their wholehearted co-operation, we have fully assured the newly engaged civilian informers that their identities will be kept secret,” the source said.

The senior officers have directed the police personnel to keep in touch with these people and also to brief them about the ways of informing the police officer nearest to their area about any unscrupulous activity.

City police have started involving the unsuspecting common man for information gathering, taking a cue from their counterparts in New Delhi, where a similar step was taken early this year.

“We expect these voluntary informers will be useful for us because it is very important to ensure that if an unclaimed package, or vehicle is spotted, the police are immediately informed besides evacuation of the area, which could save many lives,” he said.

In a city like Guwahati with a population of around 10 to 15 lakh, the police force is crippled with around 750 posts of different ranks lying vacant and a substantial number of policemen constantly engaged in administrative work and VIP security.

“The present strength of the city police is around 3,500,” a police official said.

“We don’t have the manpower to deploy police personnel in every nook and corner of the city and therefore the only option is to involve these people. Security should be the first priority of every citizen and not only the security personnel,” he said.

He said last Saturday, policemen imparted a daylong “crash course” to private security guards, which included teaching them the right way of frisking, checking bags, use of equipment like metal detectors and keeping an eye on suspicious persons or objects.