District Police is a self-independent unit & we do every kind of functions. District Police in Ladakh has to do a lot of work as compared to other police departments of the State. The prime job of Police is Prevention, Detection and investigation but we are taking care of many works including traffic, security wing for VIP movement, maintenance of Law and order, maintenance of safe and secure VIP movements, beat policing, tourist policing and disaster management. Ladakh do not have different traffic wing section as others and have very few personnel’s in traffic wing. All in all we have around 20-25 works. Here, the SSP Leh has the power of Foreigner Regional Registration Offices (FRRO).

 

 

It’s a part of regular beat & normal policing. However, we have conducted extraordinarily as we have established one police assistant booth at Airport & they are taking care of the persons coming outside from Ladakh. 

 

At TCP, Khaltse which is the single route way strict vigilance is made and random checking takes place. Every vehicle and persons are checked at the Khaltse post. The information of how many vehicles have entered into Ladakh and how many have gone outside comes to us weekly. Community involvement is very important; if community is aware then nothing will happen. It is not only the job of police and we cannot be everywhere in such a large scattered place. We have appealed the community and we got immense support from the public.  Other than that we have increased the police check post keeping in mind the tourist at Spangmik and Khardungla top.  

 

 

In the last five years, road accidents have decreased according to the FIR’s registered in Leh but small minor accident takes place. When there is a bodily offence and someone is injured in that case it is reported to the police station or someone who reached the hospital it is mandatory that it has to be reported in Police. 

 

This year we have made traffic as the main policing agenda.  We have given more manpower to the traffic wing. Police are checking vehicles at major roads & we are training the cops regarding traffic every week.  In traffic wing, we have given additional two Gypsies for easy movement and to enforce the law which was not there earlier. 

 

We have organised a big motorcycle rally to sensitize the people about the traffic rules and violations last month & in the month of February we have run an 8- day course for commercial drivers at Sheynam Hall in which 1,670 commercial drivers participated. Now, I have seen that our commercial drivers are much more disciplined & punctual. We have issued them a preference card known as ‘Friend of Police’. Now we are planning to engage two motorbikes for city policing because Gypsy cannot go into the nooks and corner of Mohalla etc. In one way we are creating mobility by providing them the vehicles. 

 

Last year there was no police assistant booth at Choglamsar Zampa & lower Skalzangling chowk but this year we have established at both places& have intensified traffic policing.

 

 

Few times we have written to the Headquarters regarding breath analysers & they are considering it .Govt has to provide us and I will definitely approach the higher authorities again. They may send us in this season only. I welcome any other institution like NGO, unions or somebody else who wants to gift us. 

 

 

Whatever extracurricular activities we are doing comes under Operation Jullay. We have conducted police-public meet at a large level and covered many villages. We have filed many cases under Operation Jullay.

 

 

There are four core areas that we are working with the youths & are visiting all the prominent schools of Leh under four programs:  

1.    Anti-drug campaign

2.    Traffic management

3.    Career Counselling

4.    Disaster management

 

These are the four core problem in Youth in Ladakh which can be addressed.  Every week we are doing some extracurricular activities to make aware the sections of the society on different topics.  The students of 8, 9, 10, 11, & 12 classes are more vulnerable to many bad activities.  And this is the right time to mold them to become a good and law-abiding citizen.

 

 

Within one year, we are planning to bring one de-addiction centre in Ladakh. We already have opened new police helpline no. Within a week or ten days, we are launching women flying squad. They will raid all the vulnerable places in odd hours where there is a chance of crime against women. 

 

 

We cannot say that it is increasing but the quality of crime has changed and not quantity. Last year, we have witnessed some big crimes but that might be occasional for long period.  Only in the long period we can know the reason behind those crimes & why it happened. 

 

One of the reasons is that the society is in transitional phase. One should not blame the outsiders for crimes happening in Ladakh. What we have found is that the outsiders’ crime is against outsiders only. The recent CIBS murder case reflects that Ladakhis are also becoming violent which is not a normal phenomenon.  Definitely people have to follow Buddhism but since the metropolitan culture is entering into the land of Lamas. Then, definitely there will be some impact or changes. 

 

 

It’s an Indian sub continent phenomena not worldwide phenomenon & has its root back to 1862 when Britishers created police. In the colonial rule, the role of the police was something different and it is still in the mindset of the general people. When we talk about the image there are some miscommunications between the public & the Police. One of the reasons is we are very much visible because we are in uniforms & wearing Khaki. Whatever we do it is visible to all & on the other side people of other govt. departments don't have any uniforms and whatever they do nobody will notice them. Secondly, Reporting of good work of police is very important which doesn’t happen usually but our bad work is reported everywhere.

 

Our work is for 24/7 and our officers are overburdened. We do not have enough resources so that we can put them into shifts of 8 hours. 

 

To bridge the gap we have started the ‘Operation Jullay’ where I am personally briefing them every week. Under it we are visiting many villages & interacting with the heads of the villages and members representing every section of society, to discuss security-related issues and chalk out plans. School students are also visiting police stations. The results will be known after many years when those students will be 18 years & become a law-abiding citizen.  Training of police personnel also takes place in which we tell them the Do’s & Don’ts. 

 

I will say that our standards are very high and soon we will come up to the expectations of the people. 

 

 

It is already initiated in Ladakh and we have police beats at every place. It is very difficult to meet the whole community but we have Civil Society Committee (CSC) in which prominent people are members and our officers are in touch with them and they take feedback from time to time. We have clubbed the Nambardar & Chokidar system with that which is associated with police stations and Chowkis. The efficacy of policing will be nullified unless the community is taken into confidence. 

 

We can see the example of community policing in Delhi. But we don’t need it now as compared to the topography in Ladakh, what we can do here is we can work together with Tsogspas, Religious organisations & that is implemented in a true manner. Talking about the advantages of community policing we can say that FIR’s have reduced and few crimes are taking place in Ladakh. 

 

 

As compared to other places there are hardly any traffic problems here in Leh but there are some topographical problems. The main problem is wrong parking and lack of awareness about traffic rules among the people.