Why cover the pages with a detailed narration on crime and punishment, when the objective set is towards promoting a society of purity and cleanliness? Is it not like slipping away from the brightness of the day and shifting to the darkness of the night? This point may superficially appear to be significant. But there is a valid purpose in such a transgression. In this globe the eternal war is between 'Right' and 'Wrong'. If the 'Right' has to survive, it has to restrain the 'Wrong', and for this purpose it has to equip itself with all information and knowledge about the designs and ways of wrongdoers, about how to prevent their attempts and safeguard its interests. We therefore have to study crime in the context of dealing with it effectively and keeping it at constant check with the pre-emptive threat of applying the weapon of 'Punishment'. To police the society is a process of keeping permanently a check on crime-statistics from shooting upwards, preventing law-breakers an easy field through quick prosecutions leading to deterrent punishments and protecting the law abiding citizens.

We started with a positive note discussing about integrity representing purity and cleanliness in public life and service. To maintain purity, a relentless crusade against misconduct and corruption is a necessary step. Misconduct & Corruption take place only within a public organization or department of the government. We face greater threats from the outer environment, where physical crimes, white-collar crimes and economic offences are confronting the society in our day to day life. Society in order to maintain its equilibrium and balance has to deal firmly with these menaces on a continuing basis. How are we organized for such a mission? What are the law enforcement agencies, how are they constituted and how do they function?

To back up a well-defined legal system, the backbone of a civilised society, effective enforcement authorities are a must to exact due compliance with the law. Law enforcement and crime prevention is principally intended to create an environment where a spontaneous law-abiding disposition perevails amongst the citizens. To further prevent misuse of powers by the enforcement agencies, they are given powers only to prosecute and not to punish. The independent judiciary is vested with the powers and functions to adjudicate and award punishments to those found guilty of violation of the law of the land through the transparent process of a public trial.

In these pages, we will discuss about the processes relating to law enforcement, about the origin and organisation of enforcement agencies set for crime-detection, prosecution and for crime prevention, as also about white collar crimes & economic offences, and the agencies to enforce their detection, prosecution and prevention. We will close our discussion with an interesting chapter about how the Police set about trapping culprits and catch them red-handed.