Top cops of 8 states decide to enhance coordination to tackle crime

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CHANDIGARH: Top police brass of eight northern states and some paramilitary forces proposed a slew of measures on Wednesday to enhance coordination among them to tackle crime in the region.

The proposed measures included shifting of hardcore criminals to jails of other states and deploying paramilitary forces for prison security besides sharing real-time inputs about criminals and their activities.

The novel proposals were made and discussed during a brainstorming session of the police brass of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Chandigarh here.

Organised by the Punjab police as the "fifth meeting of northern region police coordination committee", the police officials discussed a broad range of issues pertaining to internal security, terror threats, cross-border terrorism, drug abuse and radicalization of youth, said an official release.

Delivering his keynote address, Punjab Director General Police Suresh Arora said such meetings have become "all the more relevant" in the face of multiple security challenges. 

He said fighting terrorism and other organised crimes in the northern region through joint mechanisms was the need of the hour.

Arora appreciated the "effective coordination" among the police of the members states, which also resolved Wednesday to share "realtime inputs" about criminals and drug peddlers. 

He also suggested evolving an inter-state mechanism to deploy paramilitary forces for prison security in member states to help contain the activities of smugglers and gangsters lodged in their jails.

Emphasizing on the need for effective cooperation among states, CRPF ADG VSK Kaumudi proposed lodging hardcore criminals to the jails of other states and ensuring their court appearances through video conferencing.

Punjab DGP (Law & Order) Hardeep Singh Dhillon expressed satisfaction over "better coordination" between the state police with the BSF.

He said in consultation with the BSF, Punjab has deployed 50 companies equipped with armoured vehicles along the border as line of second defence.

He also emphasized to put strict vigil along Ujh and Ravi rivers on the J&K border to check infiltration from across the international border.

J&K ADGP (Headquarters) Abdul Gani Mir cited activities of drug trafficking across the international border and POK, and briefed the participants on the efforts being taken by his state police and government towards de-addiction.

Gani Mir spoke about the J&K experience of using the Public Safety Act to detain drug smugglers and suppliers in J&K. 

Punjab DGP (Intelligence) Dinkar Gupta briefed the participants about the emerging security scenario in the border state of Punjab and inter-state, inter-regional activities of anti-national and terrorist elements. 

He also suggested that thrust be put on the joint efforts on de-radicalization of misguided youths.