1000 traffic officials in city to get guns

"Pistols will be given to 1000 traffic officials, especially the ones deployed at certain vulnerable zones, to deal with untoward incidents and emergencies.This is a move towards capacity building and the arms are likely to be handed over to the officials by next month," he said.

Bassi was speaking at Delhi Police's Annual Conference here today. This is the last annual conference he addressed before his retirement which is due next month.

Senior Delhi Police officials said that cases of road rage and violence, in which the victims were traffic personnel, witnessed in the past two years prompted this decision.

In October, a traffic police official suffered severe injuries after being hit by a speeding car in southeast Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin area. The injured official along with four others were deployed at a picket for conducting night checkings.

In September, a traffic constable sustained severe injuries after being hit by a speeding truck at a police picket near Delhi Cantonment area

. The official was checking documents of heavy moving vehicles at a picket and the accused driver tried to escape for which he allegedly hit the driver and later fled after abandoning the vehicle.

In July, two traffic constables were brutally thrashed by members of a family, who were later joined by a mob, when they stopped two minors riding a motorcycle, in northeast Delhi's Gokulpuri area.

In the same month, five traffic police officials were seriously injured when a car rammed into a barricade set up by them in north Delhi's Civil Lines area. The driver, who was suspected to be in a drunken state and was trying to escape by overspeeding, was arrested after the incident.

In all cases, the officials were allegedly attacked by offenders, who wanted to escape and is suspected to be aware that traffic personnel are not armed. The aforementioned incidents, and many others, took place in late night or wee hours of the day, a senior official said.

He added that traffic officials deployed in the city borders are often assaulted or threatened.