Tuesday, 10 August 2004  
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Empowering the police

Public Security, Law and Order and Buddhasasana Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake has responded to an urgent public need by urging the higher echelons of the Police Department to formulate proposals which could add more teeth to existing laws dealing with crime. Considering the magnitude of the crime wave, an immediate crackdown on it is, indeed, essential.

However, adding "teeth" to laws is one thing, cracking down on crime another. It is the latter task which is called for most right now and it is our fervent hope that this time round some tangible progress would be made in the fight against crime.

We need to admit right away that the police is up against a very complex problem. There are many dimensions to the problem of crime which make its resolution an exacting undertaking. Nevertheless, it is possible to make some headway in curbing crime and we urge the law enforcers to leave no stone unturned in seeking to stamp out the menace.

In a success-driven society such as ours where overwhelming importance is attached to wealth, money and material acquisitions, criminality will be difficult to contain. Since social condition determines consciousness, the more impressionable sections in society could be expected to be infected by the fatal desire to make a fast buck and acquire the trappings of opulence and social prestige, by hook or by crook.

Amid such social conditions, for which the police couldn't be held responsible, crime could be expected to rise. However, there are connected issues which are within the bounds of containability. One of these is acting without fear or favour. The police needs to act irrespective of the power wielded by the suspect, to arrest the latter and prosecute him for the offence concerned. It also needs to be free of the blemish of corruption and the greasing of palms.

As we write, a politico who scored an impressive victory at the recent provincial polls is being sought over a rape and sexual abuse charge. We do not intend to prejudge this case, but the police needs to act swiftly and without fear or favour to establish its efficiency and impartiality in this situation. Besides, the police must be depoliticized to such a degree that it could act untrammelled to bring the offender to justice.

We also believe that the police needs to be a more dynamic presence among us. Killer gangs are on the prowl and they enjoy tremendous fire power. But this should not be a cause for inaction by the police. The latter too needs to empower itself to meet the new challenges. In other words, the police needs to take the fight to the crime gangs rather than be subdued into passivity.

Likewise, the public needs to put its best foot forward to cooperate with the police in crime-busting. The public cannot allow itself to be lulled into a sense of complacency that all will be well because crime-curbing is the responsibility of the police. The public must be forthcoming with information which would help the police in cracking down on crime.

Nabbing the smugglers

Smuggling can take many forms, but the result is the same: loss of revenue to the Government and in the case of narcotics, the introduction of harmful substances to society. We pen these lines in the light of Saturday's destruction of Rs.330 million worth of smuggled cigarettes at a warehouse in Colombo. Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama, along with Customs officials, witnessed the bulldozing of the cigarette cartons.

The smuggling of legal items to the country causes a colossal loss to the Treasury, which needs more funds for development and social welfare. The widespread availability of cheaper cigarettes and alcohol compounds the initial loss suffered by the Customs, as consumers turn away from the higher-priced, legal goods. In short, no taxes and duties apply to smuggled goods - it is a total loss to the State and a net gain for the smugglers.

Narcotics smuggling is another scourge. A large number of youths have been addicted to drugs. There are no exact calculations on the cost to the country's free healthcare service resulting from drug abuse, but it is likely to run into hundreds of millions of rupees.

Apart from these, many other items (watches, electronics etc) are smuggled in to the country daily. Alert Customs officers nab some smugglers, but others get through. There have been allegations that only the 'small fry' get caught, while the big fish who organise smuggling activities get away scot free. The authorities must strive to efface this perception from the public psyche and intensify efforts to nab the major smuggling rings.

Steps must be taken to strengthen the Customs and Excise Departments, which net in substantial revenue to the Government coffers. Surveillance must be increased at all entry points and there should be more thorough inspections of cargo. This is essential as many contraband items are mixed with normal goods, in both accompanied and unaccompanied baggage. Special attention should be paid to cargo arriving from noted smugglers' havens.

The protection of Customs officers should also be given priority. Several Customs officers who rendered an honest service have been killed in the line of duty. In the latest incident, a Customs officer who was handling a controversial case narrowly escaped death in a drive-by shooting. No room should be left for such incidents.

Saturday's destruction of smuggled cigarettes should be the beginning of a renewed thrust to eliminate smuggling and bring major smugglers to book.

 

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