The total number of Punjab Police personnel withdrawn from security detail will reach 3,200 after the Security Wing of the state,on Tuesday,ordered the withdrawal of gunmen from 25 former senior Punjab police officers including a dozen retired DGPs and ADGPs The decision to withdraw the gunmen was taken long ago when the security of other higher officials were withdrawn. Not all the gunmen have been withdrawn. The security has been rationalised. A former DGP who had 15 gunmen will now have five men,A DGP who had seven gunmen in his security detail will now have two. A total of 100 security personnel are being taken back, said a senior police official on condition of anonymity. The order has sent ripples among former police officers who reportedly held a meeting to discuss the issue and are likely to seek audience with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for reimplementing their security. Sources said that escort vehicles given to former DGPs and others will also be withdrawn. Till date a total of 125 official vehicles have been withdrawn from VVIPs. A senior officer said,Security was withdrawn after threat perception to these people including Ex-MLAs and businessmen was examined. All the men withdrawn from security duty will be given three month training and then deployed for policing in police stations,traffic wing,law and order duties and so on. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has directed the police to plug all loopholes in the grant of security by multiple agencies. Now the Security Wing is allocating security on the basis of threat perception. Efforts are on to make the security assessment exercise transparent and establish a new benchmark. The Deputy CM has directed the police to conduct an impartial assessment of the threat perception to all protectees.
