New Delhi: “The police verification was missing” — cops are often quick to point this out after a crime involving a domestic worker comes to light in Delhi.While the verification system exists on paper, in practice, it is marked by delays, poor follow-up and little clarity.Despite submitting documents, many employers report having to wait for weeks or even months for confirmation, instead often receiving only verbal assurances from local police.This prompts resident welfare associations (RWAs) to take makeshift steps, such as gate passes for domestic workers, which are frequently misused due to a lack of proper regulation. While some RWAs cite an “understaffed” police force as a major hurdle, Delhiites find the verification process too cumbersome, often reverting to personal record-keeping and word-of-mouth references for such hirings.TOI spoke to multiple people in different parts of the city. Many of them said they preferred to go by informal reference instead of getting the police involved.Aditya Yadav, a 23-year-old resident of Dwarka Sector 1 who recently moved into a new house with his family, said he relied on locals to recommend a good domestic worker. “We asked around for a reference. A neighbour told us that their house help had been working for over a decade, which made the person seem reliable. We hired the person,” Yadav said.Many said they went by processes outlined by RWAs. Indu Basu (55), an IT consultant in healthcare and a resident of Vasant Kunj, said, “Our RWA ensures that prospective domestic workers undergo police verification. Gate passes are issued on that basis. However, the RWA generally can’t provide formal proof that such verifications have indeed taken place; there are only verbal assurances. Moreover, the passes are sometimes misused by relatives of the domestic workers to enter and exit our society.”Sangeeta Thukral (50), a resident of CR Park’s N block and an RWA president, said she had applied for domestic help verification nearly 11 years ago and submitted all required documents to police, but never received any formal written response. “Even though I hired my househelp through an agency, I still wanted to double-check the credentials and try getting a police verification done. I followed up many times, but failed to get official confirmation. Cops informally said the verification was done,” Thukral claimed.The residents’ frustration is not just over the lack of a paper trail, but the realisation that the systems currently in place can easily be bypassed or even exploited. Several RWAs admit that the system is buckling under the weight of logistical hurdles and a lack of dedicated police personnel.Gaurav Khosla, general secretary of South Extension II RWA, said police provide locals with a standard verification form to be filled in whenever domestic workers are to be employed. The form seeks their Aadhaar details, fingerprints, handprints, guarantor information and permanent address, among other particulars.However, the hands-on approach seen earlier seems largely missing. “There used to be frequent verification camps, but we haven’t had one for over a year. The police station claimed it is understaffed. Now, it is our responsibility to maintain these records and submit them to the police station,” Khosla said, suggesting that even if the forms can’t immediately be processed, the residents should at least retain all personal details of the domestic workers, which will come in handy in case of any untoward incident.Karan Aggarwal, a resident of East of Kailash, said many locals skip verification, citing it as cumbersome and time-consuming. “The process of filling in and submitting the forms needs to be simplified to encourage compliance. While one can be penalised for not getting a domestic worker verified, many employers remain unaware of the exact procedures involved,” he said.A 41-year-old businessman from East of Kailash said his house was burgled by an unverified domestic worker. “He worked for 10 months and raised no sign of suspicion. After the incident, we hired a new help and submitted his documents to police, but haven’t heard from them yet,” he said on condition of anonymity.In the absence of a reliable govt mechanism, many Delhiites are reverting to age-old methods of social vetting — the “whisper network” and the “personal ledger”. Vijay Dudeja, a 61-year-old resident of Lajpat Nagar, said while tenants are usually verified through brokers, households in the area prefer to personally maintain basic records of domestic workers. “We also take references from previous employers to cross-check their conduct,” he said.Cops said though the verification process has moved online, physical forms can be picked up from police stations.A user on X said, “The online process is too lengthy. There’s no option to ‘save’ and progress. Also, the session times out quickly, forcing users to re-enter all details.” It needs to be streamlined and a mechanism to save the drafts should be enabled.The overall verification process, a retired senior cop told TOI, needs to be revamped. “Even if expedited, it usually takes around 15 days as most of the workers are from outside the city, making it necessary to contact outstation cops to cross-check their documents. But in case of many of these crimes, they strike within the first few days as they are aware of this gap,” the former officer said.Ultimately, Delhi’s domestic help verification system remains a paradox — mandatory on paper, but mostly elusive in practice. Until the gap between submitting forms and official confirmation is closed, residents will continue to rely on informal assurances and hope that a recommendation from a neighbour will make up for a missing police stamp.