Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Drought can leave behind more than parched fields. It can push farmers deeper into debt, force families to migrate for work and leave locked homes and vulnerable residents behind. It can also expose distressed villagers to illegal moneylenders, crime and addiction. Anticipating these pressures, Latur police are taking preventive policing to the villages.
From Oct 1, police teams will fan out across the district under the ‘Police in Your Village’ initiative. Police personnel will sit with residents, understand emerging problems and try to intervene before distress spills over into crime or conflict. Migration poses another challenge. If jobs dry up, working-age family members may leave villages in search of employment. Women, children and senior citizens could be left behind. Houses could remain locked for long periods, increasing their vulnerability to theft and burglary. The exercise will go beyond conversations. During their visits, police teams will map locked houses and examine CCTV coverage, street lighting, village entry and exit points and emergency communication systems. They will discuss gaps with gram panchayats and residents and look at ways to improve surveillance.