Panchkula: Tricity police units join hands to prevent criminals from exploiting jurisdictional gaps

The meeting focused on ensuring faster information sharing and coordinated action so that criminals could be traced and arrested at the earliest after an offence

Police units from Panchkula, Chandigarh, Mohali, Solan and Ambala on Monday chalked out a joint strategy to strengthen crime control and prevent criminals from exploiting inter-state and inter-district boundaries to evade arrest.

A coordination meeting of tricity crime units was held under the chairmanship of Panchkula commissioner of police Pankaj Nain at the police commissioner’s office in Sector 4. (HT File)

A coordination meeting of tricity crime units was held under the chairmanship of Panchkula commissioner of police Pankaj Nain at the police commissioner’s office in Sector 4. DCP (crime) Amrinder Singh, along with DSP-rank officers and crime unit in-charges from Chandigarh, Mohali (Punjab), Solan (Himachal Pradesh) and Ambala, attended the meeting.

The meeting focused on ensuring faster information sharing and coordinated action so that criminals could be traced and arrested at the earliest after an offence. Nain stressed that police action should not be restricted by jurisdictional boundaries and that units must work together to tackle criminals operating across districts and states.

Nain said the adjoining areas share common borders and criminals often attempt to escape by entering another police jurisdiction after committing an offence. He directed police units to ensure immediate sharing of information and coordinated action in such cases.

Nain also directed officials to conduct joint patrolling at crime hotspots near border areas and undertake joint operations against arms and drug smuggling. Police will also keep a close watch on vehicles without registration plates and other suspicious vehicles, he added.

The meeting also discussed identifying CCTV blind spots and increasing surveillance at vulnerable locations. CCTV footage will be used to track the movement and routes of suspects, while modern software and other technological tools will be utilised for crime detection. The effectiveness of these measures will be reviewed every month.

Police will also maintain close surveillance on criminals previously involved in snatching and theft cases, particularly those currently out on bail. Tenant verification will be strengthened through better coordination among district police units.

The officers also discussed joint mock drills and strengthening the information-sharing mechanism to ensure quicker response to crimes across jurisdictional boundaries.