All 240 churches in the city have been identified and assessed for their foolproof security arrangements in the wake of recent attacks on them, and the Delhi Police have also plotted the buildings on a map for a holistic view.
At present, 161 churches which have installed CCTV cameras, 54 of them got the cameras installed after police insistence.
"There are 240 churches in the city. The DCP and police station staff have been asked to make surprise visits to the churches. These churches have also been depicted on a map for a holistic view," said a senior police official.
Other than that, the SHOs of all police stations in Delhi have been asked to regularly patrol around churches while PCR vans, ERVs and motorcycle patrols have been deployed outside these establishments. At all vulnerable locations, static deployment is made in the night, he added.
Recently, Delhi Police top brass had also appointed an officer of the rank of Additional DCP as the "nodal officer" for attending to issues related to churches and educational institutions of the community.
Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi appointed Joy Tirkey for the said post and asked him to regularly interact with the members of the community and ensure safety and security of the establishments run by its members.
A new Facebook page "Minority Brethren" has also been created by Delhi Police for posting problems related to any institution or school.
After a recent case of vandalisation of a missionary school, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked Bassi to ensure safety of the religious places in the city.
Image: A view of St Sebastian’s Church fire broke out in New Delhi on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo
