Binod Singh has served the Nepal Police for 26 years. It has been more than eight months that he became the spokesperson for the NP. He talked to Trishna RL Rana Thapa of The Himalayan Times regarding the status of security, law and the

Nepal Police’s duty. Excerpts:

Why has the Nepal Police not been able to control growing criminal activities?

Nepal Police’s success rate in solving recent kidnapping cases is 97 per cent. We have even reduced bank robberies. Our performance has suffered due to lack of human resources. Moreover, public does not inform us. The citizens must provide us information. They must support us in nabbing the criminals. NP

always keeps their identity confidential. NP is every Nepali’s property. They must help us to make

better Nepal.

What are the reasons for increasing illegal activities?

The population has increased but job opportunities have not. Political intervention in police functioning should stop. The youngsters are living beyond their means. This spurs them to commit crime. Then there is lack of public awareness — the people hide information regarding crime from the police and help

criminals. Financial resources also are important to stop crime. NP has limited resources. We need more equipment, and funds for their maintenance. Moreover, there is a need to control youth wings formed by the backing of the political parties — the YCL and the Youth Force — who perform the police task, which is illegal. Laxity on the part of the licence authority is also to be blamed for increasing illegal activities: some massage parlours, bars and restaurants are functioning without licence.

What kind of criminal activities are reported the most? What techniques will the police adopt to curb crime?

Extortion, abduction and murder. In 37 kidnapping cases reported recently, NP was successful in nabbing the abductors in 97 per cent of the cases. Thirty cases have been filed in the court. NP is using every possible technique to stop heinous crimes and are mobilising their forces actively. We are planning to use the Global Positioning System to nab the criminals in shortest possible time. Tools like automatic finger printing machines will be used to match the fingerprints available in several offices, such as office of transport management and land revenue.

What will boost the confidence of the police force?

Security forces’ morale is always high and they know their duty well. They need recognition. When they are doing their duty, they don’t want political interference. The government must think about their

basic needs, like adequate funds for their ration and equipment. Nepal Police is not satisfied with the

fund allocation due to the growing market rate and the increasing work force. No soldier can win a battle with an empty hands and an empty stomach.