Delhi Police have stepped up night-time patrol in the capital after the alleged gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park. Senior police officers are responsible for staffing up at night to patrol areas that are at risk and respond quickly to incidents.
The directive was reported on 25 September 2026, following the directions of Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar.
DCPs to remain on Duty from 10 PM to 2 AM
Under the new arrangement, one of the DCPs or additional DCPs in each of Delhi’s 15 police districts will remain on duty every night from 10 pm to 2 am.
The officer on night duty will lead foot and vehicle patrols and monitor situations that require police intervention. Every district has one DCP and two additional DCPs, so one senior officer is assigned to the 4-hour night duty period.
The move comes amid concerns about the safety of women and other people using public spaces during late hours.
Center in Parks and isolated areas
Police teams have been advised to increase patrols in crime hotspots, parks, dark stretches and isolated areas. Officers will also watch for suspicious persons and vehicles under the police's “Roko-Toko” strategy.
The strategy is to stop, question and check people or vehicles suspected of being suspicious in areas where crime is more likely to happen.
Police Control Room (PCR) teams have also been asked to remain mobile when they are not responding to emergency calls. They will patrol vulnerable locations rather than remain at fixed bases, except for vital installations or VVIP security duties.
Police to check Street Lights and CCTV Cameras
The new instructions also involve checking infrastructure in vulnerable areas. PCR teams have been directed to identify non-functional street lights and CCTV cameras and submit daily reports to police headquarters.
The measure would help to plug the security holes in public places where the public can’t be monitored at night.
Women officers to increase visibility
Delhi Police has also deployed all-women patrolling teams in vulnerable locations. According to the report, the Jhansi all-women patrol squads, operating on pink scooters, are conducting patrols around parks, roads and markets.
Police officers have also been asked to conduct confidence-building exercises in schools, colleges, parks and markets. Personnel will interact with students, women, girls and elderly citizens and encourage them to approach police when they need assistance.
Additional Night Officers across Delhi
Apart from district-level night duty, two DCP-rank officers are deployed every night as night gazetted officers, covering northern and southern zones of Delhi. One ACP-rank night officer is also deployed in every district.
The officers are responsible for responding to crimes, accidents and other incidents during the night.
