City police commissioner Manoj Verma urged officers to be alert, have their ears to the ground and be properly equipped and armed with adequate intelligence while covering rallies and meetings, sources privy to what happened at a meeting said.

On Saturday, addressing a “crime conference”, where the commissioner takes stock of the police’s recent performance and plans ahead, Verma underscored the need for “clear communication” between officers in charge of police stations and the special branch, which collects intelligence on proposed gatherings, sources said.

Deputy commissioners in charge of divisions and assistant commissioners should monitor information coming to police stations about law and order situations and arrangements made to handle them, an officer who was at the meeting quoted Verma as saying.

“The police commissioner said while handling law and order situations, the force must be in proper gear with helmets, body cameras, batons and shields. Force deployment must be based on proper intelligence,” said an officer.

Over 15 police officers were recently injured in Bhangar when violent protests broke out over the Waqf Amendment Act and an angry mob clashed with the cops.

A section of officers said the situation couldn’t be assessed properly because of inadequate information. Officers were outnumbered initially, and the mob set a police jeep and five bikes on fire.

Officers who were at the conference at Bodyguard Lines said Verma suggested that over the next few months, there could be several law and order situations requiring adept handling.