Kapoor is believed to have issued strict instructions to police headquarters that these officers must be out on patrol between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. everyday.

A senior Delhi Police official, requesting anonymity, says: ``At the moment, only a few of us who are in the ranges and the districts are out on the roads. But other officers will have to follow suit very soon.''

There are two joint Commissioners and an Additional Commissioner of Police heading the three ranges in the Capital. These officers are: Jt.CPs Amod Kanth (southern range) and Y.S. Dadwal (New Delhi range), and Addl CP B.S. Brar (northern range).

The nine police districts, three in each range, are headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). A district also has two additional DCPs who will have to be out patrolling along with their seniors.

So far, the SHOs of the 106 police stations in the city, and other officers up to the rank of inspectors had been leading the patrols.

There was, however, no standard time schedule for the patrols across the board for these police stations. And it was left to the police control room vans to maintain a 24-hour vigil in vulnerable areas.

A fresh time-schedule for PCR vans as well new patrol routes were chalked out last month. Though there has been a sudden lull in robberies at show rooms, farmhouses and shopping complexes, incidents of house robbery and road side robbery have, nevertheless, shot up.

The last two are believed to have earned the L-G's displeasure in a meeting two days ago. Kapoor issued strict instructions that patrolling should be beefed up immediately, and all senior officers should be a part of the vigil.

Special emphasis will be laid on keeping a watch on the movement of Maruti cars -- at least 80 percent of cars stolen this year were Marutis -- and two wheelers. The Delhi Police have also been asked to identify all vulnerable points in the city.

That there was a perceptible anxiety among policemen with so many of their seniors out on the streets last evenings was evident from their diligence in checking vehicles and verifying the credentials of the driver.

There was also a flurry of activity at police headquarters today because senior officials are scheduled to meet the Home Secretary tomorrow. Files were being put together and records were updated for the meeting.

Union Home Minister L.K. Advani, meanwhile, will be meeting all seven MPs from Delhi tomorrow to discuss the law and order situation in the city.