KARACHI:
The Sindh police is eyeing a Rs30 million computerised database to collect information on people buying and selling weapons and bullets, in order to better solve criminal cases.
However, an Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS) would take around three months to acquire. Such systems are used across the world, but the science of forensics and ballistics has mostly been ignored in Pakistan where neighbourhood spy networks and police station beatings tactics are relied on instead to extract information during investigations.
In a development on Saturday, Inspector General of Police Fayyaz Ahmed Leghari and his staff decided that they would use an IBIS to make it mandatory for arms dealers with shops to share details of each transaction. Police constables will be assigned to collect spent bullets used during the trial of weapons from every arms dealer as well and the shells will be sent to the forensic division for record-keeping.
Forensics deputy chief Munir Ahmed Shaikh told The Express Tribune that a computerised system would help make investigations meaningful. Until an IBIS is acquired, however, the forensics division would continue to gather records - a lengthy process.
Forensics has a record of 6,000 bullet shells. “But to manually match a bullet shell against 6,000 records is a really lengthy process,” said AIG Shaikh. “An IBIS will be able to give us the top ten matches which would save us a lot of time and make life easier.”
A record of casings collected from crime scenes, weapons and bullets seized from suspects would also be made part of the database. Investigation officers will be required to send them to the forensics division within 24 hours of opening a case.
“Once we get a record, even if that weapon is used five years later, we will be able to identify it if we get the shell,” Shaikh explained.
It is estimated that there could be two million unlicensed weapons in Karachi alone and CID records indicate that there are 50,000 licensed weapons in the city. “Obviously, this is a good undertaking and should have happened long ago,” commened ASP Ali Asif. “But they will only be able to solve cases for which they have records. What are they going to do about unlicensed weapons, which are used in a majority of crimes?”
The IBIS would work for new weapons, but people who already posssess them would have to get the forensics division to stamp their licensed weapons. This will make it difficult for people to renew their licenses if they are not part of the system.
with additional input from ppi
Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2012.
COMMENTS (2)
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such a jibberish... first of all basic investigative methods should be modified instead of giving the eneducated another power tool to misuse and alot of tension and stress to the law abiding citizen... anyways best of luck as another typical dialogue heading my way might be that, kuch to kar rahe hain na...
Do we sincerely believe gangsters will stop buying from black market and head to registered dealers?
I think there might be an invasion or attack like Libya destined for Pakistan.
"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the supply of arms to the underdogs is a sine qua non for the overthrow of any sovereignty. So let's not have any native militia or native police. German troops alone will bear the sole responsibility for the maintenance of law and order throughout the occupied Russian territories, and a system of military strong-points must be evolved to cover the entire occupied country." --Adolf Hitler