CHANDIGARH, MAY 7 — Punjab Police has expanded its community policing efforts through the “Yuva Saanjh” program, successfully identifying 2,358 vulnerable young people across the state. The initiative, which serves as a preventive counterpart to the enforcement-heavy Operation ‘Gangstran Te Vaar,’ utilizes social media analysis to detect individuals drifting toward gun culture, drug abuse, and online extremism.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav stated that the force is employing a dual strategy that balances decisive law enforcement with sustained preventive engagement. He noted that the program utilizes psychological profiling and family involvement to insulate the youth from criminal networks. To manage this data effectively, police have already developed 1,519 individual profiles on the specialized “Yuva Saanjh Software” to track progress and interventions.
“Our objective is clear: to dismantle criminal networks while simultaneously insulating our youth from being drawn into them,” DGP Yadav affirmed. He declared that cases requiring intensive care are referred to sub-divisional community centers to ensure a continuous support system. The program has already seen 1,109 individuals attend structured counseling sessions designed to guide them toward constructive life paths.
Special DGP Gurpreet Kaur Deo, who heads the Community Affairs Division, stated that the approach is firm when necessary but empathetic when timely intervention can alter a young person’s trajectory. She maintained that the program focuses on early identification to prevent recruitment into organized crime. The initiative is supported by District Yuva Saanjh Committees, which include psychologists and civil society members, to provide a well-rounded community response.
