Senior cops being worried over rising graph of thefts and other crimes in Haridwar district, the SSP has been asked to ensure that 60 per cent of total stolen items in the district are recovered. Kotwali and Roorkee police stations would be developed as model police stations of the State as they happen to be the most vulnerable to crimes.
Apart from crimes, deteriorating law and order is another problem the district has been facing with the Assembly election approaching nearer. The possibilities of some leaders throwing communal and other tantrums are high, given the communal volatility of the district.
Recently, communal tension in landhaura erupted with two communities having raised communal hackles over a minor issue like vacating a shop. The political parties plunged into the scene with alacrity to milk it politically.
Police officers have been directed to be on their maximum guard round the clock to avert any recurrence of communal flare-ups.
The Haridwar SSP has been directed to have regular interaction with the locals. Besides, to strengthen the bonds of cordiality in the department, he has been asked to have his food along with other employees of the district police at regular intervals. These would, according to the senior cops, would help the district police work better.
However, police are particularly worried over theft/burglary incidents being on the spiral in the district. The recovery rate of stolen items in the district is not enthusing.
Rajeev Swaroop who has been made SSP of Haridwar district for the second time recently was directed to take measures to check thefts in the district apart from ensuring recovery of at last 60 per cent of the stolen items. Sources said that crime graph in Kotwali police station and Roorkee police station of the district has been remarkably high over the past few years.
It is said that the station police officers are being appointed in these two sensitive police stations under political pressure with merit counting nothing. The district police officer has been directed to appoint inspector/sub-inspector in these two police stations strictly according to merit to ensure that crimes are curbed effectively.
An instruction has been issued to the district that all possible assistance would be provided by the PHQ to make these two police stations evolve into model ones for the state. It should be mentioned here that the national average of the recovery of the stolen items is around 18 per cent while the figure for Uttarakhand stands at 40 per cent.
Reacting to the directions given to the district police by the top police brass, a senior police officer said that the assigned target is not impossible to achieve if the district police decides to work harder.