Meghalaya revives community policing through revamped VDP model

CORRESPONDENT 

SHILLONG: In a move echoing the globally successful Neighbourhood Watch concept of major cities like New York, the Meghalaya Government has placed renewed emphasis on strengthening its Village Defence Party (VDP) — a grassroots mechanism linking communities directly with law enforcement to combat rising crimes and social challenges.

Adviser to the Social Welfare Department Paul Lyngdoh drew a striking parallel between the international neighbourhood watch model and Meghalaya’s VDP framework, saying, “You have even metropolises like New York, which have neighbourhood watch. What is neighbourhood watch? It is the same concept as the VDP. You become part of the policing system, but the best part here is that today the government, which used to give Rs 800 per month, has now decided to increase the incentives to Rs 3,000 per volunteer per month.”

He highlighted that the recent Cabinet meeting placed renewed focus on empowering VDPs as the vital bridge between citizens and the police department. “I kept stressing about the Village Defence Party as a linkage between the community and the police department. Now, we talk about increased crimes against women when we talk of the incidents of drug traffickers taking advantage of the gap in policing and thereby causing their criminal activities — all of that can be taken care of if members of the community come forward to be part of policing,” Lyngdoh remarked.

The government’s vision aims to make the VDP an integral part of Meghalaya’s community policing strategy, ensuring public participation in maintaining safety without overburdening volunteers. “These volunteers need not be present on the roads 24x7. They will be there to just give that sense of security and safety to the residents, and their service will be utilised based on inputs received from, say, a hotspot. It’s not going to be a 12-hour job or even an eight-hour job. As and when they are required, they’ll be present. But the whole point is, they become our contact point and a linkage between the local community and the police department,” he explained.

With enhanced incentives and a redefined role, the Village Defence Party is set to emerge as Meghalaya’s urban-rural shield — a citizen-driven force against crime, bridging trust and vigilance across communities.

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