Police hold area dominance exercise in Nurpur town

In order to display strong police presence and discourage law violators and offenders, the district police conducted an area police dominance exercise (APDE) from Chogan to Niazpur in Nurpur town last evening. A police patrolling team led by Kulbhushan Verma, SP, Nurpur, along with Surinder Dhiman, SHO, Nurpur, sensitised shopkeepers and small vendors against encroachments on market roads and public spaces and idle parking on roadsides.

A strong message was given to habitual offenders, who keep shop articles on the market road, creating bottlenecks in the movement of traffic and pedestrians.

The SP checked encroachments and appealed to vendors to remove them. However, no punitive action was not taken against offenders. Vendors were warned that action under relevant provisions of the Police Act would be taken against them if they continued to hinder traffic movement, while creating public safety and cleanliness issues.

Vendors and shopkeepers were also advised to strictly discourage the use and littering of polythene on roads and drains in the interest of public hygiene and environmental protection. The police also appealed to the public for cooperation in maintaining law and order and civic discipline.

Local residents appreciated conducting of the APDE in the town. They also warned shopkeepers and vendors against placing their goods on market roads. Meanwhile, issuance of challans to two-wheeler riders, who come for shopping in the market, evoked sharp reactions in the town. Shopkeepers pleaded that issuing challans to customers would discourage them from visiting markets. Shopkeepers said they would ultimately bear losses by such an action as they were already reeling under the market slump due to online shopping platforms.

Talking to The Tribune, SP Verma said the APDE was a proactive policing strategy involving visible police patrol. He said it established a strong police presence and helped in assessing the ground situation. “Such an exercise makes law enforcement highly visible and gives a strong message to violators, builds trust and ensures public safety. Henceforth, the police will avoid challans of two-wheeler riders who visit markets of Nurpur town for shopping,” he asserted.