Vigilance, awareness & co-operation can help check crime

The number of crimes such as snatching, burglary and carjacking are increasing day by day in the tricity.  Residents should remain cautious while commuting on roads.  Mobile should not be carried in hand as anybody could snatch it anytime.  Precious jewellery should not be worn in crowded areas. It can be kept in purse and worn at the venue itself.   Besides wooden doors, there should be net doors in houses, which can remain locked so that any culprit is not be able to attack at first hand and a person can get time to take safety measures.  Doors should have peeping holes to view outside.  All domestic helps and tenants’ records must be submitted at respective police stations.  Mobile phones should have helpline numbers.

Rashi Srivastava, Chandigarh

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Increase strength of police force

It   really saddens to know that incidents of snatching, burglary and carjacking are on the rise. The police has a significant role in checking such incidents. The strength of police, Home Guards and security forces personnel should be increased. The CCTV cameras must be installed at vulnerable points to curb this evil. Tricity residents should adopt certain safety measures like using deadlocks on doors, keeping a bulb on and doors of cars locked while driving. People can buy an insurace cover to offset their losses partially.

Harish Kapur, Chandigarh

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Onus lies on all of us

Increasing crime in the city is worrisome.  How do we improve law and order situation in the city and make it safe for everyone in the light of a huge student presence and a floating population? That is a big challenge, which we all have to face collectively. All agencies have to chip in. The police have to be duly reinforced, well trained, and equipped to deal with the modern day crime.  Senior officers have to set an example in honesty and being humane. The UT Administration and the MC got to work in unison and effectively.  Politicians have to be accountable for their spoiled brats. A better response has to also come from city residents. Do we come to the rescue of women when they are harassed or are in trouble?  Do we report crime to the police when we see it happening in front of our eyes?  Do we seek police clearance of our tenants/ PGs before renting them our accommodation?  And as parents, have we bothered to groom our children and taught them moral values? No sir, we suit our own convenience, and only crib. We blame everyone else except ourselves, rarely realising our self accountability. Let’s stop being spectators and start helping the police and the UT Administration in making the city safer and better. When every one becomes a stakeholder for good of the city, it will then become smart, happy, and safe. 

Col RD Singh (retd), Ambala Cantt

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Unemployment, drug addiction main cause

With each passing day the crime rate in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panckula is increasing, which is evident from rising burglaries, thefts and snatchings. Reason behind crime incidents is increasing populace of unemployed migrants and addicts, who find it an easy way to earn their livelihood and fulfil their drug needs. In the last 10 months of this year 171 snatchings have been reported out which the police have been able to solve 108 cases, which means a success rate of just 63%. Besides ensuring public alertness and safety measures, the policing certainly needs more thrust on surveillance and effectiveness. The area police in charge must be made accountable if anti-social and criminal activities rise in his/her jurisdiction. It will rather be worthwhile to reward effective and efficient police officials, who ensure lowest crime rate in their operational areas, through citations, promotional incentives and even cash awards.

SS Arora, Mohali

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Form mohalla committees

The police cannot provide 24x7 security to every individual. To secure tricity the police and citizens must come together. The spots prone to crime and time should be identified. Vigil should be increased at such places. The police should hold awareness meetings. The presence of police must be felt by criminals. Mohalla committees should be formed with co-operation of the police to tackle burglaries, carjacking and stealing. Most importantly, citizens should be ready to help each other in time of the need.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Chandigarh

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Don’t be a mute spectator to any crime

We can make the tricity secure, safe and crime free only when the law enforcing agencies of the UT Administration and the public realise their responsibilities in this regard. The administration should educate the staff concerned as to how to tackle a particular crime situation. The public can be awakened through special drives to combat snatchings, burglaries and carjacking. The rules already in place need to be implemented in a true spirit. Surprise checking of law enforcement agencies can also be done by a competent authority to inculcate a sense of fear among officials concerned in case of lethargy in discharging their duties. All residents must cooperate with the law enforcement agencies. They must realise that law enforcement agencies are for their safety. Public should refrain from late night or odd hour travelling in their cars or on two-wheelers unless unavoidable. People must not be a mute spectator to any crime. They should help victims by informing the police. Suspicious movement of any person should be proactively apprised to the police. 

Rajender Kumar Garg, Zirakpur

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Tricity police must formulate a plan

In view of spurt in crime, the police should be more alert at borders, barriers and vulnerable locations. The police in the tricity must increase night patrolling and keep a close liaison with each other to evolve a strategy to catch suspects, who after committing crime take shelter for some time in the neighboring states before escaping further. Dark spots must be identified and lit along with provision of CCTV cameras. All cameras must work as these can provide logistic support to identify suspects. People should also help the police to pass on information and pictures relating to crime scenes. A close watch is required on jewellers and junk dealers who generally buy articles snatched/robbed by criminals. Police personnel, who fail to crack crime cases within a stipulated period, should be penalised.

AS Ahuja, Chandigarh  

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Share information on history-sheeters

Although the police in the tricity are doing its best to stop snatchings, burglaries, carjacking and other petty crimes, these incidents are on the rise sans any fear of law. Mutual co-ordination amongst the police is needed to share information of history sheeters and track their movement irrespective of jurisdictional restrictions. The presence of the police in each city street is not possible. The public should be more vigilant and help victims. People must pass on important clues/information to the police control room for immediate action. More CCTVs should be installed at the strategic points on main roads, shopping centres and gardens for tracing movements of bad elements. The police presence must be enhanced near busy markets and sector-parks to infuse confidence amongst senior citizens and women. Stringent laws should be enacted to impose heavy fines and harsh physical punishment so as to convey a strong message to bad elements in society.

Bhupinder S Sealopal, Mohali

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Refine citizens’ psychology

Functional street lights, CCTV cameras at strategic points, effective patrolling by the police and  above all  ‘bolder defensive’ psychology holds befitting remedy to citizens’  vulnerability on tricity roads at night.  Women are rather more vulnerable.  Psychology of an average citizen needs be so  upgraded  so that  no man, even observing a single girl moving on road at night,  thinks to  take advantage of the situation. Citizens’ psychological refinement, complemented by defensive administrative provisions, holds the key to the problem.

MPS Chadha,  Mohali

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Needed constant check on migrant population

There has been a constant rise in murders, snatchings, carjacking,  armed robberies and thefts in the tricity. It is natural for residents to feel unsafe in such circumstance. A lot needs to be done in order to control this rising crime graph and to make tricity a better and safer place to live in. The police plays a pivotal role in safety of residents. There is need of better co-ordination among the Chandigarh, Panchkula and SAS Nagar police in order to maintain law and order. The police patrolling should be intensified especially in sensitive areas. There should be a constant and regular check on the migrant population. The CCTV cameras should be installed at important points. General alertness is also important. Residents should keep an eye on any suspicious elements found roaming about near their houses. Members of house owners associations of individual sectors should employ watchmen for separate rows. All such measures will certainly help control the rising incidents of housebreaks and robberies in the tricity.

Dr Shruti K Chawla , Chandigarh

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Don’t take shortcuts to reach your destination

Recent cases of carjacking  in the tricity have left residents shocked. Such incidents can be prevented by spreading awareness,basically reminiscing the very basic things we all are told from childhood.One should be careful enough while choosing the correct path to  destination and not try to take shortcuts. Car locks should be checked thoroughly and no one should step out of the vehicle on a lonely stretch. Security cameras and street lights must be installed at vulnerable points. 

Prachi Utreja,   Ambala 

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Make sincere efforts to catch culprits

There should be a network of CCTV cameras so that crimes like snatching, burglary and carjacking can be detected easily. The police should not be caught napping and make sincere efforts to catch the culprits as soon as possible. More street lights should be installed so that there are less chances of crime at night. With a reassuring role of the administration, residents of the tricity will definitely feel safe.

Priya Darsh Growar  Mohali  

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Enhance police patrolling in city

There are numerous ways to check the soaring crime graph. The first to increase the CCTV cameras. Second is to  enhance police patrolling parties in the city. Members of society should employ their own private guards to keep an eye on bad elements in their areas. Moreover, the public , especially women and old people  themselves should remain vigilant when they venture out in the dark or in isolated places. Every caution should be taken when people send their kids out. So, the joint efforts of the police, the administration and the public can only solve the problem of increasing crime in the tricity.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi

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People are equally responsible

The crime the tricity is going from bad to worse day by day. There is hardly a day which does not witness robbery. In one way or the other law enforcement authorities should be held responsible for the crime. The public too should also be blamed equally as for example women while wearing costly ornaments usually expose themselves to culprits. Similarly, burglars strike because house owners don’t inform their trustworthy neighbours or the police while going out of station. So is the case with car jackings as owners generally leave vehicles on road sides.  

TILAK LAROIYA, Mohali

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