New combat gear for special cell personnel of Delhi Police

New Delhi : The personnel of special cell of Delhi Police will soon be seen sporting an all new combat gear including modern weapons and black or dark grey uniforms during operations to neutralise hardened criminals and terrorists.

The plan to introduce a new combat gear for officers of the elite special cell has been in the works for some time now and is likely to be finalized within a couple of months, said Arvind Deep, Special Commissioner of Police, who heads the unit. The combat gear will be given to a team of 50-60 officers to be worn during special operations.

He said the the uniform will be comfortable and aid in the easy movement of the combatants. “The uniforms that the officers will wear will be made of cotton and be durable. It will be a loose black or dark grey T-shirt and loose trousers and black shoes. This will be the basic thing and we are still working on the finer details,” said the officer.

Apart from a makeover in the uniform, the officers will also get modern weaponry and training. “We have a team of SWAT commandos but these 50-60 officers will be given special training for high level of physical fitness. After getting the special training, these officers will be fit to be utilized in combat operation and high-risk missions,” he said.

When asked about the weapons to be provided to them, the officer said details were being worked out.

Deep said the officers will wear the new uniforms in the ‘out of cordon’ area during an operation. “The combat gear will be worn by the officers in the outer area and not in the area that is in close proximity to the place of operation. Their job will be to ensure the security of outer periphery of the area of the operation and to catch anybody who tries to escape,” he said.

“This move will also ensure the security of the Special Cell officers. Without a specific uniform, there is always a threat that the Army and other agencies might mistake them for terrorists and shoot them.

“With black coloured uniforms that will have Special Cell embossed on the back, the officers won’t fall victim because of mistaken identity,” he said.

PTI