Haryana police chief OP Singh shared some creative suggestions to curb drunken driving in a “magnet city” like Gurugram “without humiliating anyone”, after his meeting with top officers of some major districts in the city.
“For example, talk to the restaurant owner. Say, if there are four people in a group, they could only serve three; so the fourth won’t drink among them,” he suggested.
“Or, the owner could tell them if all four have had drinks, ‘take an Uber’… So, is there a way (for the police) to network with the restaurant owner? That they alert us: ‘Look sir, all four are drinking in this restaurant.’ Then a policeman should reach there and say, ‘You go home, enjoy yourselves. We will send your car tomorrow.’ Can we do something like this?” he further said in a relatively informal conversation with the media on Saturday, November 8.
He explained the essence of why he was thinking out loud: “Look, life (or death), people will deal with that, but not humiliation. Nightlife is a way of life; [Gurugram] is ‘Millennium City’. You see, they call such places a ‘Magnet City.’ Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Gurugram , Mumbai. These are Magnet Cities. Why? Because investment comes here, and the biggest asset we have is the single working population.”
He said many single men working in Gurugram have no family; “their friends are their family”.
“When they finish work on a Friday, they will go to a club, do whatever they do. This happens globally. So, please, don’t harass them when they are returning.”
He said he had told the officers to think of ways beyond barricading areas and creating jams.
“Drunken driving is very wrong… If you are driving after drinking alcohol, you have no control over your reflexes. You will either kill yourself or kill others. So, it is absolutely unforgivable. But is there any other way for (stopping) this? Sometimes solutions are bigger problems than the actual problems.”
He suggested better use of surveillance cameras, for instance.
Overall, Haryana Police must redefine its public image through courtesy, empathy, and professional integrity, director general of police (DGP) OP Singh in what was his first official visit as DGP to Gurugram on Saturday.
He also spoke exclusively with HT, and shared the mantra he gave to his colleagues: “My message was simple but firm — we must change the way people experience policing. Every officer on the field represents the entire force. When you stop a vehicle for checking, begin with courtesy: ‘I’m sorry sir/ma’am, we have to stop you for checking.’ After conducting the required checks, thank them for their cooperation. These small gestures will humanise policing.”
He said politeness “doesn’t make you weak; instead, it earns you respect”.
On nightlife bringing unique policing challenges, he said Gurugram is “attracts vibrancy, youth and energy”.
“Our policing must match that character. I have directed the commissioner of police, Gurugram, to work closely with club and restaurant owners. If people are drinking, establishments must take responsibility to ensure that they are not driving. Similarly, police shouldn’t harass people leaving clubs at night. Instead, hold establishments accountable to provide safe transport.”
He explained the method: “We are issuing notices under Section 168 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita to errant outlets. It empowers police to prevent cognisable offenses, allowing them to act and stop a crime before it occurs. I have directed the commissioner to partner with nightlife businesses, instead of policing them with suspicion.”