Mumbai Police stand guard as onlookers watch the security operation outside the Oberoi Trident hotel in Mumbai during the terror attacks on November 27, last year. AFP PHOTO/Sajjad HUSSAIN

Intelligence dept will rope in 85 civilian experts; coastal and police depts to be beefed upu00a0u00a0

MUMBAI Police will introduce special reforms and reinforcements in March. The State Government is spending Rs 126 crore on this, State Home Minister Jayant Patil told Sunday MiD DAY in an interview at his Royal Cottage bungalow in Altamount Road yesterday.

Improved weapons and Force One launch
We have taken some quick measures, which include some weaponry improvement like procuring the MP5 (a 9 mm submachine gun of German design and modern equipments) for the police force and setting up Force One (300-odd men to make a special crack commando team). Force One is being trained in combat operation using high-tech gadgets, arms and protection devices. The first batch will be ready by March. We will deploy the force in Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Pune and other major cities in small numbers to enable a quick response. We are keeping in mind that the first batch of police who visited Taj and Oberoi on 26/11 had only revolvers and AK-47s were limited. The police force will now be armed adequately. A battalion of NSG commandos will be stationed on the outskirts of the city.