Delhi Police chief’s promotion tip bears results, more missing children rescued

NEW DELHI:  Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava’s offer of ‘out of turn promotion’ to his staff for tracing missing children appears to have borne fruit.

The Delhi Police have traced 1,440 children out of the 1,222 reported missing. Srivastava had in August announced the incentives for the police’s constables/head constables for recovering 50 or more missing children below the age of 14 years within a year.

A special drive was carried out by all police districts in the last three months to trace the children reported missing from various parts of Delhi. Teams were also formed in all police stations. 

“On August 7, Shrivastava had announced the grant of additional incentives, including out-of-turn promotion, for any constable or head constable who rescues 50 or more missing children below the age of 14 years...within a period of 12 months,” Delhi Police Public Relations Officer Eish Singhal said.

The police data shows more missing children have been traced this year as compared to the previous year. In 2019, 5,412 children were reported missing, of which 3,336 were traced (61.64 per cent).  This year up to October 31, 3,507 kids went missing and 2,629 of them (74.96 per cent) were traced.

According to Eish Singhal, PRO, Delhi Police and DCP, New Delhi, a large number of missing children came from economically weaker sections.

“All Deputy Commissioners of Police made special efforts to trace the children. The incentive scheme also motivated the constables and head constables,” said a senior police officer of the city police force.