Open House: When law enforcers start turning criminals, how can the drug menace be tackled?

Make appointments more transparent

A vast majority of law enforcers in our country do their jobs in accordance with the law. Nonetheless, this is not always the case, and a few of them tend to become corrupt. When a man in uniform gets involved in a drug-related crime, he deserves harsh punishment so that the other cops can be discouraged from engaging in similar acts. There can be no strategic methods for instilling integrity in a police person because honesty comes from within. Therefore, the most viable crime control strategy for addressing corruption in police departments is to make the appointment process more transparent and to hold senior officers accountable for any crime committed within the department.

Novin Christopher

Generate more job opportunities for youth

Recently, the Special Task Force arrested an additional SHO and his two aides for drug smuggling. A total of 846-gram heroin was seized from the trio. Interestingly, the accused cop was in uniform and on duty as well. He had misused his uniform to procure and supply heroin to customers. He had been into drug peddling for the last 4-5 years and was himself a drug addict. The police must probe if more associates of the cop were in the illegal trade. The Ludhiana Commissionerate of Police should maintain a strict vigil over the activities of the cops in the district to dissuade them from getting involved in drug smuggling. To get rid of the menace, the focus should be on reducing the demand for drugs and cutting off their supplies by imposing harsh penalties under the NDPS Act and improving law enforcement. Municipal councillors, sarpanches and politicians must work in tandem. Parents, teachers and community leaders also have a big role to play by the way of counselling. Holistic treatment centres should be set up to rehabilitate the addicts. Governments need to create more skill development centres to generate employment, encourage sports and other activities. The authorities should also ensure the strict enforcement of existing laws and even hang a few drug dealers. This would deter others from participating in such activities. The supply lines of drugs need to be choked. Anti-drug awareness programmes should be organised under “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan” of the government. The judiciary can also play a vital role by expediting the proceedings in drug cases and punishing the guilty in a stringent manner.

RS Sembhi

Strengthen the laws prohibiting drugs

The administration should take the necessary steps immediately to curb the menace of drugs. Any person involved in drugs trade should be punished with such harshness that nobody thinks about getting involved in such business. There is a need to abolish corruption and strengthen the drug-prohibition laws. There is also a pressing need to create awareness about the harmful effects of drugs. A simple measure like informing about ill-effects of drugs through the speeches in morning assemblies of schools and on social media can go a huge way in curbing the menace. Furthermore, the addicts should also not be treated as an outcaste but rather efforts should be made to provide them facilities in the rehabilitation centres. There should be a de-addiction centre in each city of the country.

Adish Sood

Fast track such cases

There’s a lot of hue and cry around drug supply chains and the notorious elements involved in them. The government claims that through its serious efforts, it has contained the menace of drugs. This is a totally false claim. When the law enforcers themselves turn criminals, any progress on the front cannot be expected. To contain the practice of cops themselves getting involved in such crimes, the government should check the previous records of cops, audit the expenditures and income of suspected personnel and take measures to reduce stress levels among cops. Some other steps that can be taken include — videography of all searches made by the police, making strict laws and putting the court cases of offenders on fast track, giving them exemplary punishments and breaking the nexus between the police and the politicians. The ordinary public should shun the practice of glorifying the corrupt offenders.

Sukhdev Sharma

Robust awareness programme needed

It is a matter of utter shame that a policeman in the city, who is supposed to safeguard residents, has himself been found smuggling drugs. Senior police officers must conduct a thorough inquiry against the policeman and punish him severely. The punishment should be such that it serves as an eye-opener for others against the sale and use of drugs. It is well known that drug abuse is common in the cities and villages of the northern states of India. There is a huge need of starting a robust awareness programme here on drug abuse, especially among the youth. The government is spending a great deal of resources in controlling the availability of drugs in the country. The government and some private agencies, including the Red Cross Society of India, have many rehabilitation centres at different locations in the country. All-out efforts are needed to control the supply of drugs in the country.

Gautam Dev

Give exemplary punishment to culprits

The problem of drug addiction is aggravating day by day in Punjab. There is not a single village or city in the state which is free from the drug menace. Many steps can be taken to contain the drug abuse. Parents should teach their wards about the bad effects of intoxicants and drugs. Videos and documentaries should be shown to the youth of villages and cities to sensitise them about drug abuse. Special seminars and conferences must be held to educate about the evils of drug addiction. The government should promote sports and other recreational activities to involve youth in other areas. The government should create more and more job opportunities for the youth to help them earn their livelihoods. There must be an exemplary punishment for smugglers, whether they are cops or any ordinary person. The government of Punjab had approached the Centre in 2018 to deliberate on the possibility of death penalty as punishment for drug peddlers.

Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui

Promote recreational, sports activities

The menace of drug addiction is a very serious problem in Punjab as our young generation is getting affected by it. The menace becomes more serious when cops are involved in drug trade. We are losing youngsters because of drug abuse and parents are helpless to send their wards to other countries because of this fear. The government must take the help of NGOs to tackle the issue. Committees must be formed at the village and ward levels to identify addicts and send them to de-addiction centres. The government must organise more job melas and give loan to youngsters to start businesses. Recreational activities like sports should also be promoted. The police should conduct raids on areas where the possibility of drug trade. If anyone is found guilty, they must be put behind the bars. The people should also cooperate with the government to put a curb on drug addiction.

Farzana Khan

Step up vigil around schools, colleges

Drug addiction is a problem that has been plaguing the state (Punjab) over the years. The government, drug users and their families, social and religious organisations, medical professionals, and psychologists should all work together to end the menace. The government must ensure that there is no political interference in the functioning of the police force. The government should also step up vigil around schools and universities. Deploying special task forces for the purpose in each town can help reduce the number of drug traffickers. The drug supply-demand network should be closely monitored and if anyone is found involved in the smuggling of the contraband, he must be awarded severe punishment.

Tamanpreet Kaur Khangura

Identify black sheep in police force

We all are well aware of the reality that smugglers and criminals cannot run their illegal trade without the tacit support of politicians and the law enforcement agency. The police must identify the black sheep in their department and punish them accordingly if they actually want the menace to end. Still it will also be wrong to paint everyone with the same brush. The police are working very well in some of the areas. But the moles in the department destroy the faith people have in the police. Guilty cops must be penalised harshly so that it could deter other people from indulging in illegal activities like drug peddling.

Khushkaran Singh

Take strict action against guilty cops

Policemen are recruited and assigned work to arrest criminals but it has been observed that some cops turn criminals for vested interests. Strict legal action should be taken against guilty law enforcers and they should be dismissed from the job, besides imposing a heavy fine and punishment on them. This must deter others in the force and criminals from indulging in unlawful activities in future. Further, higher authorities should counsel their juniors to stay loyal towards their duty and the nation.

Dr Inderpal Kaur

Arouse patriotic feeling among cops

The police are not just law enforcers but also the protectors of the public. Wrong and illegal activities of cops will act against society’s interests. Counselling sessions should be done in proper intervals so that no public servant even think of doing illegal practices. Special counselling session to arouse patriotic feelings among cops must be held. Moreover, government along with counselling sessions should provide some incentives to them so that in order to fulfill their needs they are not moving towards the other activities like smuggling of drugs and other illegal acts. Furthermore, other measures like heavy fine, rigorous imprisonment, termination from job, etc, must be taken to maintain discipline in the police department.

Taniksha Pruthi

Guilty cops must be sacked immediately

No doubt, there are strict laws but we fail when it comes to proper implementation of these. The law enforcers being the guardians of law deserve double punishment. Such people must be terminated immediately and provisions should be made to investigate the reasons behind their such behaviour. However, there must be regular transfer of cops to another cities and states. It will help in eradicating their autocracy at one place and they will think twice before doing any such crime.

Amarpreet Kaur

Impose heavy penalty on corrupt officers

It is really shameful that some law enforcers turn criminals, so our law enforcement system needs to be upgraded. It should appoint some special cops in civil dress who should remain on patrol day and night. Besides, an awareness campaign should be arranged and the government should impose a heavy penalty on corrupt officers. People should think at least once before committing any crime that bring a discredit to the police force as well as our country.

Lookpreet Kaur

Give harsh punishment to tainted personnel

There seems to be no end in sight to the drug menace. Despite best efforts by the administration, government agencies, NGOs, educational institutions, etc, the issue remains unresolved. What is shocking is that some of those entrusted with the responsibility of nabbing drug dealers are turning their accomplices. The very purpose of fighting the social evil is defeated when some police personnel, who are duty-bound to fight this evil tooth and nail, start prompting the sale of drugs. Such guilty cops should be given harsh punishment so that the custodians of law dare not indulge in unlawful and unethical practices and the faith of the common man remains intact in the system.

Aftab Fateh Singh Bains

QUESTION

The state government recently ordered to let off the landowners who were caught burning stubble in their fields. This left the official machinery upset while the peasants were upbeat. Are such actions justified when it comes to environmental protection?

Suggestions in not more than 100 words can be sent to [email protected] by Friday (December 9).

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