EDITORIAL
It’s time the government prioritised law and order and revamped security measures
Dacoits have struck for the second time in a little over a month (in Mapusa) and the third (in Dona Paula) in six months. This time, they targeted a businessman’s flat in Baina, Vasco. All three are a matter of concern for citizens and the government, sending shockwaves across the state and creating a sense of fear, especially among the elderly and the rich.
For the first time in recent years, a flat has been the target. Generally, people feel safe living in flats. The perception is that it is less vulnerable to thefts. The Vasco incident has shown that gangs pick their targets with ease and with no fear of getting caught. Goa was once considered a soft target for terrorists; now, it seems to be the same for professional gangs, burglars and dacoits.
The chilling dacoity reflects poorly on the Goa Police. As much as it is important to apprehend the culprits, it is equally important to create an environment that deters criminal activities. Forget history-sheeters, now even novices seem to have no fear of committing crimes with impunity, as seen in recent cases. The manner in which the Baina dacoity was executed, with precision, indicates police can be hoodwinked easily.
In all three cases, the culprits gave the police the slip, apparently crossing state borders without much difficulty. The police should answer a few questions pertaining to the Vasco dacoity. At what time did they receive the call regarding the incident? Did they alert the railway police, inter-state bus stands and checkposts? If yes, then at what time did they do so? Was any suspicious activity spotted? If not, will any action be taken for the failure to do so? Was there patrolling in Vasco that night? Vasco is a port town; are CCTV cameras not working? Just as seen in the Goa administration, there seems to be a lack of accountability in the police department too. The DGP may have a vision for effective and efficient policing, but the ground reality is different. Some senior police officers are also not transparent. Even regular FIRs registered by police stations are not made public, and often some are busy trying to suppress information from the media.
The latest dacoity comes at a time when Goa Police say that crimes have reduced and that conviction rate has improved. It’s good if convictions have increased, as in the past, cases often ended in acquittal, many a time due to lack of commitment by investigating officers.
The breakdown in law and order raises several questions for the police: Why is there a spurt in burglaries and dacoities in Goa? Why are the police helpless and unable to crack the cases? Is it not a reflection of poor local intelligence? Have police surveillance systems failed at inter-state bus stands, checkposts and railway stations? Is the government not lax in providing safety to its citizens? How many places have CCTV surveillance systems? And how many of them are working? What is the status of community and neighbourhood policing? Recently, the national media criticised the Goa government for invoking NSA to tackle rising crime, saying: If policing is bad, what will NSA do?
Police have to pull up their socks. They need to revisit their policing strategies. Available technology must be used more efficiently and the local police intelligence needs to be strengthened. There seems to be a systemic failure, which needs to be corrected. Community policing needs to be pushed hard. A comprehensive study must be conducted on crimes taking place in Goa so that short- and long-term measures can be adopted by the administration. Lack of initiative could also hit tourism. Instead of holding high-budget events, the government must allocate more funds to ensure citizens’ safety.
