"Who handed over policing to a private firm?" 11 February 2022

... in the posh neighbourhoods of Indiranagar and Koramangala in Bengaluru, you will encounter blue-clad uniformed men patrolling the streets. They are not Karnataka police officers, but “guards” employed by 56 Secure, ... With their mobile app, you can ... call these security guards in case of an emergency, or keep an eye on cameras that the company installs and operates for an additional charge.

56 Secure also seems to be training its security personnel, .... for what one might consider the functions of the local police. Through its social media accounts, the company boasts to the public with stories of its personnel stepping in – questioning and apprehending people that they are suspicious of, then calling the local police to wrap up the legal work.

... 56 Secure operates on a similar premise, of securing private property, but its personnel end up patrolling entire neighbourhoods... The surveillance is aimed at inhibiting “deviant” or “suspicious” behaviour in public spaces, which inevitably ends up being a tool for the enforcement of conservative social mores.

... the effects of surveillance and policing for this agenda become most pronounced on those who are perceived to be presenting a risk to privileged conceptions of safety and security – in this context, poor and/or Dalit men, implicitly assumed as the perpetrators of violence and crime. ... The constant surveillance and policing furthers segregation, and can contribute to marginalised populations’ constant fear of being watched, questioned or targeted.