Collective efforts needed to curb crime in city

Replace corrupt police officers with honest ones 

Corruption and crime are two sides of the same coin. But it is possible to curb crime in a fast and expanding city like Ludhiana and it can even become a role model for it. First, the corrupt police officers should be replaced by honest ones and there should not be any political interference in the working of the police, including transfers of police officials. The way the police treat individuals can also make a difference. By treating people equally, making fair decisions, being respectful, the police can encourage people to cooperate with them and not break law.  The 'war on drugs' is a massive driver of crime, violence and insecurity. CCTV cameras can also be a cost-effective measure to prevent crime. Schools should come up with programmes to educate children on sexual harassment. We need legal support of courts. Prosecution should support the court and expedite the process of delivery of justice. We need to focus on the practice of servant verification. — Maninder Pal Singh

Curbing crime need of the hour 

The city is growing and so is the crime rate. Curbing crime is the need of the hour. Introduce a system at primary level, which keeps a watch on criminals or law-breakers. Equip the city with CCTVs. Introduce digital ticketing system for those violating law and reward informers and those obeying law. Patrolling should be enhanced across the city and more check posts should be created. — Dr Vishavdeep Brar 

Preventing crime everyone's responsibility

People commit crime for various reasons -for money, due to poverty, unemployment, revenge etc. Increasing crime incidents in the city have become a cause of serious concern. Individuals can be of great help in cutting down the number of crime incidents. Preventing crime is everyone's responsibility. People should participate and assist the government in keeping the society safe. Reporting the problems to the police can play an indispensible role in crime prevention activities. More police force should be deployed everywhere to monitor people's activities and stop them from committing crimes. On the other hand, the state also needs to adopt new technologies such as surveillance cameras in various streets, shopping centres, restaurants and all public places. Harsh punishment, too, can prove a deterrent for criminals. It is, however, debatable whether harsh punishments can prove more effective in reducing crime or moral teaching. Crime can be handled effectively if a balanced approach is followed. — Ravi Chander Garg, Ludhiana  

Stringent measures needed

It is the allurement of easy life that propels an individual to think about committing a crime. Also, there is lot of inequality prevailing in our society. When criminals don't have any fear of law-enforcing agencies, incidents like thefts, robberies, rapes and molestation rise. It is generally observed that crimes are mostly committed by people belonging to the lower strata of the society. Many a times, it is observed that criminals are hand in glove with the police. While dealing with criminals, the administration should take stringent measures so that a criminal thinks 10 times before committing a crime.— Ravinder Kumar Jain, Haibowal Kalan

Adequate, effective police force needed

Three important factors that need to be considered for curbing crime in a fast-expanding city like Ludhiana are size of the city, population and police force. The municipal corporations are increasing the size of the city by extending its boundaries. A small area is easy to manage. Therefore, instead of increasing the size of a city, more cities should be made. The population is always increasing. Hence, one way by which crime can be controlled is by having effective police force in the city. There must be one app for reporting crime. The police must be able to reach the site without loss of time. Curbing crime is the responsibility of the city and state. Hence, more funds must be allocated for increasing the police force in numbers, and providing them mobility. Simultaneously, all-out efforts should be made for police force. Intensive, meaningful training programmes should be initiated for the police before they are put on duty. Also, the public must be educated to immediately report any issue and assist the police and each other in controlling crime. Laws are there, but unfortunately, the judiciary takes too long to decide the matter and punish the guilty. Culprits need to be punished adequately without delay. Other agencies such as NGOs and youth in schools and colleges should also be involved in these educative and preventive programmes to make the society in general equally responsible.— Dr G Dev, Kitchlu Nagar

People's role important

The public can play the most-effective role in curbing crime. People should be able to raise their voice at the crime spot itself. The other reason behind increasing crime incidents is the loss of trust from the police. Criminals know that they can escape easily by taking some political support or giving some bribe. Laws should be same for all. Only when the police win the conviction of public, there would be no crime — Manmeet Kaur

Vocational employment programmes can help

The crime rate is escalating. Snatchings, thefts, robberies are major ones. Drugs, price hike and poverty are the main causes of crime. So, it can be curbed by improving the literacy rate. Not only poor children, but illiterate adults, too, should be taught, so that they can earn and not do unlawful acts. Vocational employment programmes should be promoted to inculcate in the minds of youth that no work is inferior. The government should commit to create more jobs for the jobless instead of promising free groceries. — Manpreet Kaur

Multi-pronged strategy can help

Ludhiana city is turning into the 'crime capital' of Punjab. It is a distinction the city can very well do without. 

The reported cases of car-jacking, theft, burglary, loot and snatching are only a tip of the iceberg. Almost every locality in the city, be it posh areas or overcrowded old city, has a story to narrate about incidents of crime. 

The moot question is why crime is on the rise. Is it because of the laxity in the implementation of the law or are the authorities unequal to the task of maintaining law and order in the city? 

Are there any social variables that have to be factored into this? Well, it is all of these plus the ever-widening disparity between the haves and the have-nots in the industrial city of Ludhiana that have, in some measure, a role to play in the upward crime graph. Ludhiana being the hub of floating population further adds to the problem. 

The menace of drugs that has gripped the youth in its tentacles is yet another factor that is hard to ignore. Only a multi-pronged strategy, in which the police, administration, NGOs, teachers and other sections of society act in unison, can help tackle the problem of crime in the city.  — Comment | Minna Zutshi