Delhi Police engage bars through 'BarTalk' initiative

Around 3.30 pm on Friday, Special commissioner of Police Deepender Pathak and the DCP Crime and PRO Madhur Verma walked into a bar in Connaught Place, accompanied by fellow cops, albeit for a noble cause.

The officers wanted to educate people at the bar on ill-effects of drunk driving, thus choose a bar to initiate 'BarTalk' to promote their 'Do Not Drink and Drive' campaign.

To promote the anti-drunk driving campaign and women's safety app 'Himmat' through BarTalk, Delhi Police has roped in top restaurants, pubs and bars in the city.

BarTalk is a digital out-of-home network spread across the Capital's bars – leveraging their apt positioning – to promote safe drinking and to popularise Delhi Police women's safety app Himmat. The app is particularly useful when women travel alone during late hours.

The police officers feel that the initiative would encourage people to hire taxis after they consume alcohol, and for women to download Himmat app as well so that they are safe and could act swiftly in case of any emergency situation.

Speaking to Millennium Post, Pathak said: "We are happy to take Delhi Police's top priorities and objective of safe driving and women safety through BarTalk. With their (bars) unique display network, police can easily reach out to the socially active population on a real-time basis. The strategic placement of this innovative mode of communication will act as a reminder to people in bars that drunken driving is best avoided."

Drunken driving cases are on the rise each year in the national Capital. In 2016, over 28,000 motorists were prosecuted by the Delhi Police for driving under the influence of alcohol.