Ludhiana: Installed a year ago, emergency police care stations lie defunct

When checked, the care station in Ghumar Mandi was found operational but the others were either defunct or unresponsive; equipments from care station installed in Feroze Gandhi market are missing; Ludhiana residents have expressed their disappointment and are calling for the restoration of the service

The first-of-its-kind care stations, installed by the Ludhiana police in October 2023 to enhance public safety, now require urgent attention for revival. Most of these emergency response stations are non-functional, and even the few operational units fail to connect to the police control room (PCR). At the Feroze Gandhi Market station, the equipment has gone missing altogether.

A dysfunctional care station booth in Kipps Market of Ludhiana on Friday. (Manish/HT)

The initiative, modeled after similar successful setups in Bengaluru and abroad, was designed to combat street crimes such as snatching, vehicle theft and brawl. A senior official involved in the project emphasised its potential to revolutionise policing and public safety if maintained properly. “If cared for, this system could be a game changer,” the official said.

The project was part of the Safe City initiative and was meant to assist residents during emergencies. Ten care stations were installed at strategic locations, including Ghumar Mandi, Clock Tower, Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Interstate Bus Terminal, Sarabha Nagar Market, Feroze Gandhi Market, Tuition Market in Model Town, Gill Chowk, Bhuriwala Gurdwara Sahib in Haibowal, Jalandhar bypass bus stop and Samrala Chowk.

Each station was integrated with the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), citywide CCTV surveillance, 112 helpline, police emergency response support system (ERSS) and traffic infrastructure. By pressing a button at the station, users can alert the police control room, which will then track their location and access CCTV footage for immediate assistance.

When checked, the care station in Ghumar Mandi was found operational but the others were either defunct or unresponsive. Equipments from care station installed in Feroze Gandhi market are missing. City residents have expressed their disappointment and are calling for the restoration of the service.

Parminder Singh Kaka, president of Dashmesh Welfare Society, and Gurdeep Randhawa, president of People Welfare Council, urged the police to revive and expand the service to residential colonies. They emphasised that the care stations could help identify areas prone to drug abuse and strengthen community safety.

Acknowledging the issue, police commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal assured that steps would be taken to make the care stations functional again.