A renewed focus on passenger profiling in Delhi Metro stations and airports across the country is helping the Central Industrial Security Force to identify suspects even before the frisking stage.
Although the exercise was initiated in 2009, in the last few months the force has included more personnel in the ambit of training. The training mechanism has also been tailored to deal with both the practical and theoretical aspects.
“To pick the odd one out without the person having the slightest inkling is not easy. Then we have to ensure that the signals we are reading are accurate so that we do not cause inconvenience to any innocent passenger. And to do all that we have to keep sharpening our skills,” said a CISF officer.
The officer said profiling primarily is about observing the manner in which a person dresses up, looks around or walks in order to determine if his or her actions are suspicious.
Profiling happens through electronic surveillance, and in many cases the officers dressed in plain clothes move around the stations and airports. Some even travel in metro coaches and have managed to detect many pick-pockets there. In March, 27 pick pockets were held at metro stations and coaches.
Recounting one experience, the officer said Rs.50,000 was picked from the pocket of one passenger who alighted from the train at Shastri Park metro station. “The victim did not even realise it but because we were monitoring the movements of the pickpocket after profiling, we managed to catch him red handed,” he said.
The officer said it is not just pickpockets or smugglers who have been detected using profiling, staff members of airline companies and airport staff involved in pilfering have also been caught after their movements were monitored.
