Concerted efforts, better policing can help curb crime

The boundaries of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh touch one another so it is easy for criminals to commit crime at one place and hide in the others. Thus, coordination between the three police forces is important so that they do not get the advantage of territorial dispute. The police forces of these areas should hold meetings at regular intervals and assess the situation.

Davesh Moudgil, Mayor

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Devise all means 

Ideas are all good, but it depends on implementation. The implementation part often comes down to zero, which should not be the case. There should be coordination on a regular basis. For elimination of crime, all means should be devised. One can commit crime and move to other place, so there should be synergy in action.

Pawan Kumar Bansal, former Union Minister

Fix accountability

I totally agree with the idea because Chandigarh is so akin to Panchkula and Mohali in those states. The miscreants can commit crime here and easily go to these states. But, most important is the action on the ground. Besides, accountability should also be fixed and sharing of important information among them should also be there.

Satya Pal Jain, former BJP MP

No action on ground

Only lectures are given and there is no implementation on the ground because the system is rotten. Law and order is not being handled properly. Only commitments are made verbally.

Harmohan Dhawan, Former Union Minister

Overall improvement need of the hour

It is a good mechanism, but not the only mechanism. It may be helpful but overall improvement has to take place. People in general need to feel safe. Their confidence should be strengthened. There should be meetings, seminars and workshops for people. Handling and availability of the police in general is also important.

Sanjay Tandon, Chandigarh BJP president 

Involve bureaucracy

Not just law and order, but the tricity should do all works in coordination. Mere coordination of the police will not help much. Bureaucracy also needs to be involved. If the administrations concerned are involved, it will give better results.

Pardeep Chhabra, Chandigarh Congress president

Install CCTV cameras

The rising crime in the tricity is certainly a matter of concern. The population of the three cities has multiplied, however the police force has not been increased proportionately. The joint efforts of the police may help in curbing the peril. HD surveillance cameras at vulnerable points may also help in solving the problem.

Harish Kapur, Chandigarh

UT Administrator’s initiative laudable

The Punjab Governor and UT Administrator deserves all praise for the timely initiative in calling upon the police heads of three states to check the rising crime in the tricity region. The joint drive in close coordination with the police of the three states is the need of the hour in view of the increasing crime in the tricity. Frequent patrolling on inner roads and streets by the police and installation of high-resolution CCTVs at strategic locations will go a long way in curbing crime.

RPS Chopra, Mani Majra

A welcome step

The decision of police heads of three states of Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana acting jointly in a coordinated manner for improving the law and order situation in the tricity region is a welcome step. The move would certainly tend to control the rising crime in the tricity. Separate hotline numbers, especially for snatching incidents, should be made available and given wide publicity to enable the police to act swiftly in catching miscreants.

Renu Rajinder Pal Singh, Chandigarh

Appropriate move

Certainly, an appropriate move has been taken by the Punjab Governor. For the sake of the safety and security of residents of the tricity, checkpoints should be set up at various places to catch criminals red-handed. Vulnerable locations of the tricity should be brought under the CCTV surveillance. Finally, WhatsApp groups can be created among apex officers of the tricity to keep a constant vigil on the criminals.

Priya Darsh Growar, Mohali

No implementation of orders

Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore’s appeal to the governments of Punjab and Haryana and the UT Administration to jointly handle crime in the tricity area is no doubt a commendable gesture. But the question is — who cares for such advices? We have been listening to such promises from the concerned quarters for so many years. But there has been no practical implementation of such orders/appeals or suggestions so far. Will the Governor’s advice set the process this time? It remains to be seen.

RK Kapoor, Chandigarh

Take action against illegal PG accommodation

Many houses running the PG business without intimating the local police is the main threat to the tricity. Girls and boys from other states are indulging in various crimes to make quick bucks. I request to take action against the owners of those persons who are running illegal PG accommodations. All PGs should be registered with the local police stations.

Gurjeet Singh

Reformed system needed

The initiative of Punjab Governor-cum-UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore for getting the police heads of the tricity  on a  common platform to work in tandem to bridle crime is laudable. These three cities have no distinct inter-state boundaries as such criminals after committing crimes sneak out to other city/state and hoodwink the police. With proper coordination among the police authorities and sharing intelligence outputs will help track the offenders with great alacrity .Periodical reviews by the appropriate police heads of the tricity and reforms in the system as per ground requirements will go a long way in curbing criminal activities and maintaining law and order effectively.

SS Arora, Mohali

Cops should act sincerely 

The police have knowledge about each criminal. Several times, the police harass innocent persons without any reason or evidence. The police can easily catch the miscreants if they do their duties honestly. The Administration should fix the accountability of police personnel on the basis of the area. Police officials should be promoted or demoted as per their performance. They should not work under the influence of any political leader or bureaucrat.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

Elderly, women should remain alert

Coordination between the police chiefs of the tricity is a positive step. Law-enforcing agencies face a formidable task to contain rising incidents of murder, theft, snatching and rape. Intelligence agencies need to keep an eye on suspects, including migrant labour. Being soft targets, senior citizens living alone and women must remain cautious of miscreants posing as skilled workers. Girls need more awareness. The police should swing into action to nab the perpetrators on receipt of information. In this mission, cooperation of landlords and welfare associations also seems desirable.

Sardul Singh Dhawan, Chandigarh

Move will instil fear among criminals

Coming together of the police heads of the tricity can do wonders in controling the crime. Many cases are not solved as coordination between the three forces is missing. Many criminals take advantage of this weakness and escape punishment. Some of them escape arrest because of jurisdiction issues. Now, this move will instil fear in the minds of criminals. Traffic violations and crime will also reduce if joint nakas are set up at strategic places.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma

Law machinery wanting

There is no denying that crime in the tricity has increased manifold if figures  are to be believed. Not a single day passes without an incident of crime as heinous as murder, gang-rape and chain-snatching. Sadly though, the law-dispensing machinery has been found wanting every time such an incident is highlighted in various newspapers. The plea by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Badnore telling the tricity police to join hands and put up a bold front to check the recurrence of crimes in the tricity is a welcome step in tackling crime incidents in the tricity. Also strict laws, their stricter implementation and, to top it all, stringent punishment to those found on the wrong side of the fence, would go a long way in stemming the rot.

Ramesh K Dhiman, Chandigarh

Take stern action against miscreants

In a bid to make policing more efficient, initiatives taken by the UT Administrator is appreciated. His suggestions such as tricity police joining hands for better coordination, setting up interstate nakas to make tough criminals to escape and other methods are important which can be implemented to make the tricity safe. These initiatives will definitely help in strengthening the law and order situation. The police should take out such drives to boost their confidence. But desired result is still to show. Criminals should be dealt sternly. I feel that proclaimed offenders should not get bail easily.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

Break nexus between politicians, criminals

The Punjab Governor’s advice to the police forces of the UT, Punjab and Haryana, to cooperate and share data is a sensible one. This move will ensure that criminals do not escape to neighbouring states after committing crimes, taking advantage of lack of cooperation among police forces and dispute over jurisdiction. This alone is not sufficient. The police must keep an eye over various slums where criminals hide after committing crimes. Also, a strict monitoring of convicts out on bail or after release is necessary. Most importantly, the police, judiciary and society as a whole must have a strong will to combat crime in whatever way they can. Politicians should also desist from protecting criminals for vote bank.

Bubby Soin

More security measures needed

The Punjab Governor’s directions to the tricity police chiefs and officers to work in tandem  to tackle the increasing  crime will certainly provide better results to the security forces. Such suggestions had also been given by readers through these columns but never implemented. Other measures such as making the  police intelligence wing more efficient, increasing beat system, installing CCTV cameras  at all vulnerable points and holding police nakas at tricity borders are also needed.

AS Ahuja, Chandigarh

Good policing required

The Governor Punjab-cum UT Administrator may have brought police heads in the tricity together for curbing crime in the three cities but how it will be properly implemented. After living decades in Chandigarh and Mohali and frequently visiting Panchkula, I have never seen the police reaching the crime spot whenever people dial 100. Even they never bother to contact the caller the next day.  Calls to 100 should be recorded and the police heads should demand a report of calls the next day.

MPS Chadha, Mohali

Increase police strength

While coordination between the UT police, Punjab Police  at  Mohali  and  Haryana  police  at  Panchkula   is  a  welcome  move, as  initiated  by  the  UT  Administrator, its  effect  on  ground  to  tackle  the  rising crime   in  the  city may  not  be encouraging, except in bordering  areas where criminals escape after  committing  the  crime. The  need of  the  hour  is  to  increase  policing  with  additional  manpower,  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  where criminals  escape after  committing  petty  crimes such as  snatchings.

SC Luthra, Chandigarh

Find out new ways and means

I congratulate the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator who has rightly said the police force of Punjab, Haryana and the UT should jointly make efforts and work in a coordinated manner to prevent and detect the rising crime in the tricity region, comprising Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. Further, I would suggest that they should jointly meet and find out ways and means to tackle the problem and inform each other if any crime is committed in any these areas. I hope that efforts made in this direction will have an effective way in controlling crime.

Tarlok Singh, Mani Majra

Delayed step

The initiative taken by the UT Administrator to co-ordinate the police heads of Haryana, Punjab and the UT to curb lawlessness in the tricity is welcomed. In fact, this should have been thought over much earlier to check increasing chain snatching cases. It would be better if the HP authorities are also asked to join hands with them so that criminals did not escape to the hilly areas. The miscreants, when caught, are generally given a lenient handling due to jurisdictional as well as political considerations. This could be avoided altogether if we have a joint machinery of all neighbouring states to tackle crime.

Tilak Laroiya, Mohali