The campaign has borne fruit with drug dealers being hindered and several types of narcotics being seized. Activists admit there is a lot to be done, but this is a good start
Representational image. Pic/iStock
The Zone VI division of Greater Mumbai Police, comprising 10 police stations—Chembur, Govandi, Nehru Nagar, Chunabhatti, Trombay, RCF, Mankhurd, Deonar, Shivaji Nagar and Tilak Nagar—recently launched a ‘Drugs-Free’ campaign to tackle drug-related crimes, curb consumption and ensure public well-being.
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Initiated in January this year, local participation at the police station level is an important facet of the campaign. Engaging with the community and activists through meetings formed its core. According to a senior officer, these exchanges, where the officers took inputs from locals, helped the latter extend support to law enforcement. The seniors added that at the meetings, citizens were provided with a contact number to raise an alert about suspicious activity. The aim is also to empower citizens, giving them control over their locality.
The campaign has borne fruit with drug dealers being hindered and several types of narcotics being seized. Activists admit there is a lot to be done, but this is a good start.
It is heartening to see that locals have been roped in along with law enforcement. The community is the primary affected here, and they are the eyes and ears on the ground. So, to gather inputs and work in tandem is a win-win situation.
Every detective will tell you that the biggest breaks come from the humble eyes on the ground approach. Even the most mammoth of investigations needs local inputs; it is often this that is the spark that sets off a chain of events and eventually leads to a case being solved.
Informants amongst locals must have their anonymity so that they are safe from any ‘revenge’ action and they can continue to collaborate with the authorities without fear. It is up to the police to trace the supply chain and nab those responsible for the supply at source. More power to such campaigns.
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