Formation of village defence committees, the gram secretariats system and digital policing will play a key role in reducing crime rate and help promote goodwill and harmony among various communities, Superintendent of Police S. Senthil Kumar has said.
Launching the first phase of Village Defence Committees under Operation Samaikhya programme in 230 villages of Nagari, Satyavedu and GD Nellore Assembly constituencies at Puttur on Thursday, the SP said that along with the efforts of the official machinery to guard places of worship belonging to all communities, public cooperation was crucial to ensure foolproof protection. “Our investigation into some recent acts of vandalism at religious places showed that they were mostly the handiwork of miscreants and gangs involved in property offences,” Mr. Senthil Kumar said.
The SP said that thousands of villagers, including the elderly, youth and students, had approached the police expressing their readiness to join the village defence panels and ensure an atmosphere of peace and amity among people in the backdrop of the Ramateertham incident. “It is a welcome sign that the field staff of village secretariats attached to the police department are working very well everywhere,” the SP said.
Senthil Kumar warned that circulation of unverified information and acts of incitement on social media would be viewed seriously and criminal cases would be filed against such individuals or groups. He urged public to reach the police on Instagram and WhatsApp groups or Dial 100 to pass on vital information regarding strangers and suspicious elements in their areas.
