In an effort to educate people against possible terror threats and to seek public support in checking crime ahead of the Commonwealth Games, Delhi police will be spending over Rs 20 crore this year on advertising and publicity, double the amount it spent in 2009-10.
It has already spent nearly Rs 2.27 crore between April and May this year on publicising public-friendly measures such as helplines and creating awareness among citizens on how to check untoward incidents.
The department has got a total of Rs 23 crore for advertising and publicity, the force said in reply to an RTI query.
The awareness generating exercise assumes importance in the context of the first ever Commonwealth Games being hosted in the capital in October.
Delhi police has spent about Rs 9.21 crore during 2009-10 as against Rs 10.19 crore in 2008-09, it said.
"We give advertisements to inform people about different measures being adopted by police to check crime and
thwart untoward incidents. Besides ads are also given to
disseminate information about missing children in adherence to
Hon'ble high court's direction," Delhi police spokesperson
Rajan Bhagat said.
There has also been a increase in the number of advertisements given to different media. According to the reply, a total of 1,348 adverts were carried out in print and electronic media in 2008-09 and 1,701 in 2009-10.
Delhi police has also put out 940 endorsements between January and May this year related to promotion of its helplines, schemes and to make people aware of different anti-terror measures besides others.
On being asked about the impact of advertisement on the minds of people, S P Vaid (Director), Bureau of Police Research and Development said, "These advertisement helps in making people aware of different measures taken by police to check crime. People are informed and their help is sought to maintain law and order."
Exercising his Right to Information, Ashwini Shrivastava had filed an application seeking details of amount spent on advertisements by Delhi Police among others.
The bulk of Delhi Police' Rs 2,755 crore budget is spent on salaries.
While there has been increase in the funds meant for advertising and modernisation, Delhi Police said it has been getting Rs 40 lakh for security service, aimed at maintaining sources and gathering intelligence since 2005-06.
Delhi police has about 77,000 personnel including about 500 Gazetted officers.
