Bhubaneswar: Odisha police aim to enhance their visibility on streets by targeting daily patrols of 35,000 km statewide through their Emergency Response Support System (ERSS). The current patrol coverage stands at 10,600 km.
Following the Nirbhaya case in Delhi, the Centre introduced ERSS in 2019 to ensure a swift police response, particularly for women during emergencies. The state launched ERSS or dial 112 on March 19, 2021, integrating emergency numbers for police (100), fire (101), and ambulance services (108 and 102).
"We will provide new patrolling vehicles and 9,000 motorcycles to police stations in the state. This will significantly improve police mobility and patrolling, besides ensuring better service to the people of the state," chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi said while launching 30 new vehicles for the commissionerate police under ERSS on Thursday. Of these vehicles, 22 are allocated to Bhubaneswar and 8 to Cuttack, bringing the total ERSS fleet to 44 and 31 vehicles in the twin cities, respectively.
Majhi indicated these would replace non-functional patrol vans. "We also plan to provide speed vehicles and bikes to police stations to successfully chase criminals. Police will no longer face trouble in their movements for outstation investigations. All stations will have sufficient numbers of vehicles," Majhi said.
The chief minister emphasised that personnel training would be crucial, stating, "Performance of the ERSS vehicles will depend on the personnel who man them. We will impart special training to them and improve their professional skills in responding to emergency situations."
Director general of police (DGP) Y B Khurania revealed plans to modernise ERSS with Rs 1,200 crore over four years. Khurania detailed, "In the first phase, 106 emergency response vehicles, 158 police control room (PCR) vans, 1098 police personnel, and 198 phone call receivers were engaged for the smooth functioning of the ERSS system in the state".
He said, "In the second phase, we have sent a proposal to the govt for 195 more emergency response vehicles and 1,247 personnel to make it a robust system." "Now the vehicles are patrolling 10,600 km in Odisha. We aim to achieve 35,000 km patrol daily in the future," he added. The DGP noted that ERSS already assisted approximately 1 crore people in Odisha over the past four years.