Open House: What should be done to check the rising crime graph and make residents feel safe & secure?

Transfer of police officials a must

The rising crime graph in the city is a matter of shame for the administration. If the government and the police fail to control crime in a city, immediate administrative steps need to be taken. First of all, the entire team of the police should be replaced by new officials who are more responsible and effective in dealing with crime. Now-a-days, residents of Amritsar are feeling very unsafe and insecure. In order to make residents feel safe and secure, immediate remedial steps needs to be taken. Day and night patrolling in the city should be done regularly by police teams. In the areas where there is a high incidence of crime, more CCTV cameras should be installed. The culprits should be nabbed within two days. Only the police can help check the spurt in cases of murder, robbery, carjacking and petty street crimes. Honest and hardworking police officials who crack cases without delay should be honoured. Also, help of local detectives should be taken to nab culprits.

Sanjay Chawla

Check circumstances leading to crime

In our country, crime is committed in various forms ranging from murder, robbery carjacking, snatching to online frauds. These crimes have different trends changes with time and evolution of human perception. Governments have been trying to make and implement regulations to control the social crimes, but till now most of the preventive techniques and means to large extent have gone in vain. With advancement in the field of criminology, there are many tools to gather scientific evidence to focus on habitual offenders. The focus of the government should be on preventing the conditions that lead people to commit crimes. This can possibly be done through a systemic, integrated, coordinated approach where the punitive approach should be the last resort. People who have no job and livelihood are easily lured to commit crimes, so creation of more jobs can surely result a considerable decrease in crimes. The police should encourage people to cooperate with them and not break the law. More importantly, laws should be made in such a way that crimes could be prevented at an early stage.

PS Kaur

Drug cases taking toll on effective policing

In a meeting of the police district heads, a supercop of a state was reviewing law and order situation. In answer to poor performance in each category of crime, a district head replied each time: “Sir, we were extremely busy in hauling up narcotic peddlers and seizing the drugs.” But when the agenda item of drugs control was discussed, he was asked as to how much narcotics were seized and how many culprits were arrested. He answered: “Sir we have identified the culprits and we are in the process to arrest them, big seizures are expected soon sir.” The supercop looked at the officer disdainfully with visible fury of anger in his eyes. He said: “So you will do everything and show some results in the next meeting only.” In a similar meeting at district level, an inspector said boastfully: “Sir, when I had taken charge of the police station, there used to be average five murders in a month, but sir the average of murders has come down to three now”. The officer presiding over the meeting applauded him. Well done, now I fix the target of only one murder in a month. The crime must be reduced.” Everyone in the meeting was amused with the fixing of target of murders. Since 1978, the crimes of all sorts have shown perceptible ascendancy, though the statistics have the scope to be fiddled with. In some regimes, the rural area was affected more and in some regimes the urban rise in crime has been more. But there has been never a moment of respite. The sense of security and rule of law has always been elusive. Some regimes systematically gave command of the police in the hands of politicians and public gathered an impression that the policing had become a private enterprise. One of my friends told me more than 5 decades back that each police case in their area was registered with the permission of his family. I knew that his father was a small time politician. Over the period, even smaller time politicians, have seemingly taken over the reins of crime control/decontrol, with some rare good examples of fair policing. A non-cooperative and non-conformative policeman is also put under threats by the politicians that he would be trapped by placing chitta on him. Recently the new regime has reduced the security of VIPs in three instalments. The personal security people, over the period, perform sundry duties, and become largely unfit for policing, unless and until they are retrained for policing. The lax control/discipline in the cadre and general rotten governance, will allow the black sheep to prosper.

SS Sandhu

Appoint Kunwar Vijay as state Home Minister

Before answering the original question let us try to answer the basic question: Who is responsible for land, sand, drugs and related mafias in the state? The answer is politicians. So if all other crimes are committed under the patronage of political class why not we include murder, robbery, carjacking and petty street crime in the same category. In the last three to four decades, numerous commissions have been appointed to reform the police force, but recommendations of such commissions were never implemented. Why? No guess needed as such recommendations dismantle the nexus between criminals and politicians. But at the moment a new political outfit is ruling the state. People expected that scenario may change. Though the AAP may not have been involved in such crime yet but they lack will to bring a change. They should have appointed Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh as Home Minister of the state, keeping in view his sincerity, integrity, honesty and efficiency. He can bring about a positive change in the law and order situation. Over the decades, the Amritsar urban has been represented in the state Cabinet. Dr Baldev Prakash, Balram ji Das Tandon Brij Bhushan Mehra, Com Sat Pal Dang to more recently Om Prakash Soni and Raj Kumar Verka are some of them. No minister was taken from the Amritsar urban constituency. This is also one of the reasons for deteriorating law and order. At present, the situation demands the inclusion of Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh as Home Minister in the state Cabinet.

Naresh Johar

No interference in police functioning

Many cities of Punjab are also not totally free of crime, but Amritsar grabs the headlines for all sorts of crime, whether it is murder, attempt to murder, house burglary, bank dacoity, carjacking, snatching of mobile or a woman’s handbag, etc. The crime graph showed a fall for some time, but increasing cases where of well-to-do aged or elderly couples being murdered have stunned those who are living alone. And, the list of cybercrime goes on and on. No one wants to believe that the holy city is also the crime capital of Punjab. What should be done to improve the situation? A lot depends on the residents. Prevention is better than cure. As they say an open door will temp even a saint. Crime is the first cousin of development, particularly if it is haphazard development. Emergence of shanties or ghettoes of homeless vagrants lining all the developed areas of the city is the cradle of the criminal minds. Some of the poor ragpickers graduate into petty thieves or start working for some syndicate. Add to it the drug mafia. The whole social environment breeds criminals, therefore expensive ornaments should be worn only in a safe environment. As far as possible, women should not venture outside alone at night. It is a good development that some girls are learning martial arts for self-protection. The more their number, the better. But the police should now intensify night patrolling, particularly in sensitive and crime-prone areas. They may be given electric motorcycles because they usually complain of inadequate fuel. CCTV cameras must be installed at important spots. Officers should restore confidence of the public by appearing more often on TV and assure them of all help. Popularise helpline numbers. Police-Public meetings, held in a healthy social ambience, can go a long way in restoring the confidence of the masses. After all, the police are there only to help the public. Senior police officers must take a round of the city privately daily to apprise themselves of the ground realities. One hopes among political interference in police functioning must be curbed to a great extent and the police are now free to bring the culprits to book.

Prof Mohan Singh

Comprehensive policy needed to check crime

The rapid rise in incidents of murder, robbery, snatching, carjacking and cyber crime in the recent past has become a cause for concern. Crime has left especially women and the elderly worried as they are soft targets for miscreants. Some of the main reasons of this spike in crime graph are poverty, unemployment, inflation, drug and alcohol addiction, mental depression, emotional bankruptcy and lack of fear of law. It is the constitutional responsibility of the government to protect its citizens. Though the police nab criminals, nothing much changes at the ground level. We need to develop a comprehensive policy to combat crime. And for that, the police and the public have to make concerted efforts. The vulnerable and their caretakers should be more cautious about protecting their own lives and valuables. They should immediately report any untoward incident to the police. Otherwise, criminals will go unpunished. The police department also needs radical reforms to take appropriate action and check unlawful activities in time. Increased police patrolling, nakas at vulnerable places and installation of more CCTV cameras will be of great help. Sometimes, police personnel are accused of laxity in taking action against the criminals or connivance. The police department should be insulated from political interference for its smooth functioning. Disciplinary action should be taken against erring policemen. Addressing the problems that breed criminality, sensitising people about gender equality and training women in self-defence are the some other imperatives. The safety and security of residents is an essential prerequisite for the development of the state.

DS Kang

Report every incident to police without delay

It is unfortunate that English and vernacular newspapers are daily replete with cases of killing, burglary, looting, snatching, , kidnapping, extortion, carjacking, bank account hacking, and many more, courtesy laxity on the part of the police and the public at large. Elderly persons and women are the worst sufferers. The prevention of crime is critical to maintain law and order in the state. On occasions, the police crack cases and arrest the perpetrators, but still there is no let-up in the situation. It is imperative to formulate a multi-dimensional policy to stem the rot. The police administration should increase patrolling at vulnerable sites. It should update its infrastructure and recruit more personnel, add more PCR vehicles, install more CCTV cameras and replace the dysfunctional ones at crowded places. The criminals should be given strict punishment to deliver speedy justice to the affected persons. If any policeman is found guilty of dereliction of duty or connivance with the culprits, he should be held accountable and disciplinary action be taken against him. For the strict implementation of law, the police force should be kept free from political influence. Instead of blaming the ruling AAP dispensation for the deteriorating law and order situation, political parties should cooperate with the local administration to bring the offenders to book. The government, schools, parents, NGOs and social organisations should spread awareness about respect for women and the elderly. On their part, the residents should also be very particular about their own safety and that of their moveable and immoveable property. They should also intimate the police about any criminal offence for suitable action.

Simran & Tajpreet S Kang

Create jobs for the educated youth

There is no denying the fact that the crime rate is increasing day by day despite precautionary measures being taken by the government and law-enforcing agencies. Poverty, peer pressure, lootings, snatchings, murders, carjackings, robberies and petty street crimes have shaken the city. Senior citizens, who are living alone in their houses are in a state of shock. Criminals are moving fearless, any time of the day, they engage in criminal activities, whatsoever may be the reason for their criminal activities. They may be doing so because of unemployment, drugs also played an important part, poverty and hunger forced them to engage in crimes. Some belong to very affluent families engaged themselves in violence at the behest of political parties and create lawlessness. Nothing can be justified, crime is a crime. There is very thin line between needs and desires…needs can be fulfilled but there is no end of desires. Sometimes women get seriously injured in the act of snatching. Maximum CCTV cameras must be installed at prominent places. Stringent punishment to the offenders, no political influence. There should be a fear while doing any crime, they should know the consequences before committing any crime. Night vigil is must because in the night when everybody is sleeping they got an opportunity to do criminal activities. As it is observed that most criminals are unemployed youths, the government should focus on providing job opportunities to the youth.

Shashi Kiran

Policemen need to be trained professionally

Maintaining land and order and making the people feel safe and secure is a primary responsibility of any state government under the Constitution. However, a recent sudden spurt in criminal activities in the state is a matter of grave concern and raises many questions about the effectiveness and efficiency of police machinery deployed for the purpose. With the AAP government now at the helm and infused with the spirit of drastic changes in public administration, the people are hopefully expecting major improvement in working of the police force and restoring public confidence therein. In this direction, the government needs to ensure that there is no political interference in the functioning of the police at all levels. Secondly, the station House officer and the commanding senior police officer should be made fully accountable to each and every crime taking place in their area. Thirdly, it is to be urgently ensured that every investigation is effectively and fairly conducted to get speedy and sure conviction from the trial courts. In general, the police force needs to be professionally trained and fully motivated with the state-of-the-art infrastructure at their disposal.

Jagdish Chander

QUESTION

Despite the rising pollution levels, the Municipal Corporation and other bodies have failed to take steps such as introducing mechanical sweeping, anti-smog guns and sprinklers to check the deteriorating air quality index. Should the authorities concerned be held responsible or what else should be done to check major health hazards being faced by residents of the city?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.comby Thursday (May 26)