E-Paper
Will reduce case pendency, focus on cybercrime in the New Year: SSP Mohali
Detection is the best prevention. All car snatchers who have struck in the past month are behind bars. We are installing 5,000 CCTV cameras across the district for prevention and detection of crime
Shouldering the weight of the law-and-order situation in the district, Dr Sandeep Kumar Garg, an MBBS doctor and 2012-batch IPS officer has been instrumental in the installation of 5,000 cameras and construction of roundabouts to bring down crimes and road mishaps. He speaks to Nikhil Sharma about the challenges being faced by the department and his outlook for 2023.
The recent carjackings have been the talk of the town. People are fearful about venturing out in the evening. How do you plan to deal with such gangs, especially amid dense fog when commuters are all the more vulnerable?
Detection is the best prevention. All car snatchers who have struck in the past month are behind bars. We are installing 5,000 CCTV cameras across the district for prevention and detection of crime. All chowks, and exit and entry points to the district will be under surveillance. We will launch a night policing scheme so that the police control room remains on alert in vulnerable areas. More check posts will be installed in winter to prevent such crimes. We will install automated number-plate readers which will help in detection of carjackings and snatchings.
Mohali is becoming the hub of gangsters and other criminals. What steps are being taken to check this menace?
The congested areas and up-and-coming societies in Mohali allow gangsters to live in anonymity. We have made a list of societies and are ensuring that police verification of tenants is done. We have roped in private security officers at societies and sensitised them about anti-social elements that may be residing there. We are also lodging FIRs against those glorifying gun culture on social media.
There are fewer than 2,400 cops in the district, which is grappling with a burgeoning population. Is the available police force enough to curb increasing crime in the area?
We have prepared a proposal to increase the manpower and a meeting regarding the same has been scheduled. The Punjab DGP has directed the additional director general of police (ADGP, law) to update the strength of the workforce. We have had the same strength since 2006, while the district has grown manifold in the meantime. Staff shortage is one of the major hurdles in curbing crime in the district. We have sought 400 more cops.
Unlike neighbouring Chandigarh, commuters in Mohali hardly follow traffic rules. What is being done to curb traffic violations?
Installation of cameras and increasing the manpowerof cops will help reduce traffic violations. We are also planning to start sending e-challans.
Are there any major initiatives in the pipeline to curb accidents?
Traffic is a major issue in the district. Thus, we have planned to convert important chowks into roundabouts so that motorists have to slow down near them at night. In the first phase, we have identified 10 major chowks and installed temporary barricades to form temporary roundabouts so that the authorities concerned have ample time to build these roundabouts. We have also involved the state traffic advisor in the project. Initially, the administration will build five roundabouts.
Kharar and Zirakpur are becoming cities in their own right. Do you have a plan to improve policing in these towns?
With installation of more police control rooms, the response time of the police will significantly decrease in these areas. Increasing the security personnel will also help.
What changes can we expect in the New Year?
We are looking forward to reducing case pendency. We will ensure that grievances are solved in a time-bound manner. As we receive a lot of property and matrimonial cases, thus we will create counselling centers for resolving such issues, besides adopting a streamlined approach for tackling property disputes. We will also be focussing on cybercrimes.
