The Bhopal Police’s ability to carry out their jobs are being hindered by outdated analog wireless communication systems, forcing them to resort to makeshift solutions to keep the devices functional.
According to the police, its current wireless communication system has exceeded its lifespan but despite assurances of digital wireless sets over the last three years, the department has not received any.
The current Motorola wireless sets, operating on 800 MHz frequency, were intended to be used for 10-12 years. The system, however, has been used for 24 years, police said.
The manufacturer provided service maintenance until 2015, but the sets have since been left to function without proper technical support. Issues such as quick battery drainage, unclear voice transmission and disrupted connectivity have become a concern for the policemen.
“These (existing) wireless sets are several years old. The sound clarity is poor and there is constant crackling noise. I’ve heard that training for new sets has been planned,” Constable Pramod Soni said.
Police said they often need to resort to temporary solutions to keep their devices intact, in order to be able to perform their duties. They often use thick rubber bands or attempt quick fixes to deal with broken components. In areas where the transmission signal is weak, cops often struggle to communicate effectively, repeatedly saying “hello, hello” in the hope of getting through.
Police said the challenge increases in situations involving law and order. These sets either fail to transmit urgent messages or cannot handle the communication load, leaving officers in a fix.
“This version is very old. The voice is unclear, and there are multiple black spots where the range is inadequate. We need updated versions,” Sub-Inspector Narendra Chaudhary said.
Despite six tenders being issued for new wireless sets, the equipment are yet to reach the hands of the officers, police said.
“I haven’t seen the new sets yet. The police department must be making arrangements, but we don’t know when they will reach us,” Sub-Inspector Ram Prasad said.
Top police officers said efforts are underway to upgrade the communication system.
“Wireless systems are the backbone of police operations, whether for VVIP duty or law-and-order maintenance. We are adopting the latest technology and will roll out the new system by next month,” Bhopal Police Commissioner Hari Narayan Chari Mishra said.
Police said the new devices will have features like live location tracking (unlike in the case of older sets, officers will no longer be able to provide false locations, as the new sets will function like mobile phones with live location tracking), remote deactivation (if a wireless set is lost, it can be remotely disabled from the control room, to prevent unauthorised people from eavesdropping on police communications), enhanced clarity (the voice quality will be comparable to mobile phones), and encrypted communication (the digital sets will feature encrypted coding, ensuring that unauthorised users cannot tap into police conversations).
“There were cases in the past where officers reported being in one location while they were actually elsewhere. The new system will improve supervision and modernise police operations. Such advancements should be welcomed,” Retired Director General of Police Shailendra Shrivastava said.
Police said the new set of devices are expected to be distributed across all levels of the force, covering Inspector Generals to Assistant Sub-Inspectors. It will also be provided to policemen linked to emergency response teams such as Dial 100, traffic cops and beat in-charges.
