By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 20: The East Khasi Hills police have ramped up night patrolling to tackle the growing drug menace, rising crime, and public nuisances.
Superintendent of Police, Vivek Syiem said stringent measures are being enforced to maintain law and order while urging the community to actively support efforts to combat drug abuse and trafficking.
He said the district has witnessed several major drug seizures in recent months, which have impacted supply chains, leading to increased prices. Despite this, the problem persists, with small-time peddlers and users continuing to operate in various localities.
“Now that we have a specialised Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), we are hoping for more successes. The problem persists with small-time peddlers and small-time users,” he said, also flagging property-related crime.
Addressing the wider social impact of drug abuse, Syiem emphasised that the issue demands concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including local communities. Under the DREAM mission, police have been engaging with local organisations to spread awareness and seek community involvement.
“We have had several discussions with the localities. On Saturday, we will have a discussion with Seng Samla and on Monday, we will have a short training with the VDPs (Village Defence Parties). We are encouraging the formation of more VDPs to help us fight the drug menace,” he said.
While seeking vigilance against drug suppliers, the police are advocating a more empathetic approach toward users. “We want the VDPs to understand the need for empathy and sensitivity toward drug users and look at them as patients while being vigilant against drug suppliers,” he added.
The police are also working towards enhancing community awareness of the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act. “Unless you are good witnesses, unless you help us in our raids and seizures, a case will fall flat. Understanding the whole process under the NDPS Act is very important; it will raise the level of awareness and knowledge, especially during the period of trial. A good deposition during the trial will help us get convictions,” he asserted.
Despite increased policing, drug-related activities continue to spread to areas where police presence is limited. “It is not that police are not patrolling, but it is not possible for the police to be in every area, and drug users will look for a place where police presence is not there. As responsible citizens, please call 112. The public does call and inform us,” Syiem urged.
The presence of drug users in public spaces remains a growing concern, creating disturbances and increasing petty crimes.
“Drugs seized from or consumed by users are a headache for everyone. These users need treatment or rehab, which costs money. There is a big problem in handling users because of withdrawal syndromes,” Syiem explained.
While discouraging drug users from occupying public spaces, he acknowledged that this is only addressing the symptoms of a deeper problem. “We need to have a more systematic way of handling this entire situation of actually getting them off the streets and into treatment,” he said.
Syiem dismissed claims about gaps in police patrolling, stating that night patrols have been strengthened. “Patrolling has been intensified at night,” he said.
He also said the Special Operations Team (SOT), along with traffic police, has been conducting rigorous checks, particularly on two-wheelers.
“The traffic and the SOT have intensified patrolling. The tactical teams are checking on two-wheelers every night because of rampant bike theft and because of drunken driving. We don’t want to have fatalities due to rash driving, and we don’t want nuisance and noise in the localities,” he said.
The police have been focussing on modified motorcycles with loud silencers. “There are many young people who use modified silencers, which can be disturbing,” Syiem said.