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

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

Use hi-tech equipment for surveillance

Public safety and security is the foremost duty of the administration. Since lawlessness and terror lead to chaos which adversely affects development, maintenance of law and order is vital for peace and sustained growth. While cross-border terrorism has been a constant threat to our stability, mindless acts of some fanatics from within the country intending to vandalise the social fabric are also a cause of grievous concern. Punjab, being a border state, has witnessed several incidents of terror and turmoil since the days of partition. In the recent past, there has been a sudden spurt in killing incidents, arson and loot, carjacking and petty street crimes, especially against women and the aged citizens. Besides many occurrences of robbery, infighting among various gangs and attempts of desecration to spread communal tension are quite disturbing. Earlier, a bomb blast at the Ludhiana Courts complex and this month rocket-propelled grenade attack on Police Intelligence headquarters in Mohali, both incidents have exposed poor law and order in the state. Despite a recent change of guard in the state and the new police administration, very little improvement is in sight. Heinous crimes putting many innocent human lives in danger need to be dealt with iron hand. To avert such instances, law-enforcing agencies must be wholly empowered to work independently without political interference. A mechanism operating round the clock be devised for the public to exchange information as they come across with the police forces about the suspicious elements. Use of high tech equipment for checking & surveillance apart from a ‘quick response force’ is the need of hour. High definition CCTV cameras be invariably installed and regularly monitored at all the vulnerable places. Simultaneously, the police patrolling be further beefed up so that the extortionists and the mischief- mongers intending to vitiate the environment do not dare to carry on such heinous activities and disturb peace. Whereas the culprits on prosecution ought to be subjected to exemplary punishment, police authorities of the area where crime is perpetrated should be held squarely accountable for the security lapses.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

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

Set up police outposts at several places

Now-a-days, incidents of crime are rising rapidly. There have been some petty cases too but many a times there have been many serious cases also that are related to murders and robberies. These cases have many a time not been reported caught which is very disappointing because each and every person deserves justice. Also, the elderly who go outside for a stroll sometimes get pickpocketed. When they discover this, they are perplexed and get shocked that all the belongings they had have been stolen. In order to control this, many preventive measures can be taken such as establishing police outposts at places. Another important measure is to spread awareness. If everyone is aware, the robber or the one who is committing crime will think twice before committing crime. Also we should not trust on any stranger while travelling and not give our belongings away if we want to go somewhere.

Sanidhya Bhaskar

Increase staff strength of police

There is no doubt that the crime graph is rising in the state. Not only in case of this government but in earlier governments also. One reason could be the rising unemployment of the youth. Many of them have become drug addicts. So, to get drugs they indulge in such crimes. An author once wrote that even if you put a police man in front of the door of every house, crime can’t be stopped. The criminals are a step ahead of the police. They get firearms from UP or Bihar without any license of the weapons. Incidents of looting, robbery and carjacking are being committed frequently. Maybe, the staff strength of the police needs to be raised. In our country the strength of the police as per our population is very low compared to the more developed countries. So, by raising the strength of the police crime can be controlled. CCTV cameras should be put up on all chowks of the city so that criminals can’t escape from the hands of police. Everything can’t be blamed on police. People should also be responsible to make themselves others safe and aware of the crimes happening around them.

Dr JS Wadhwa

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

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 [email protected] by Thursday (May 26)

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