Community policing: District South Police to set up 10 model stations

The initiative will be funded entirely by the officers responsible for each station.

KARACHI:

Community policing is an important tool that can improve the image of the police department in society. Concerted efforts are required to build the confidence of residents in the police and also reform the so-called 'thana culture' that plagues Karachi's police stations.

To restore this badly tarnished image, District South police have decided to establish at least 10 model police stations in their jurisdiction. Under the scheme, the District South DIG will supervise the Defence police station, District South SSP will supervise the Gizri model police station, Clifton division SP will oversee the Clifton model police station, Police Headquarters Garden SP will manage the Garden model police station, Lyari division SP will run the Baghdadi model police station, Keamari division SP will be supervised by the Jackson model police station while Preedy, Gizri and Risala police stations will be supervised by Investigations SSPs.

Previous attempts

This is not the first time that the government or the police department has taken such an initiative. The previous attempts, however, proved futile in the face of non-serious attitudes. Former provincial home minister Zulfiqar Mirza, during his tenure, had set up three model police stations. Ferozabad, Liaquatabad and Women police station had been selected for the purpose.



Later in 2012, the government had decided to open 50 model police stations to curb the 'thana culture' across the province. Twenty of them were in Karachi. The proposed model police stations included seven model women police stations, three in Karachi and one each in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas. They were, however, not provided the required infrastructure and logistic support and thus the idea largely collapsed.

Self-help

This time, however, the initiative looks slightly more promising. For one, the scheme does not involve the government or the bureaucracy. The idea was conceptualised and presented by the District South DIG Abdul Khalique Shaikh in a meeting with senior officials of the zone. All the officers enthusiastically endorsed the idea of community policing.

"We are going to establish ten model police stations from among the existing police stations in District South," explained DIG Shaikh. "Moreover, we will also upgrade three Madadgar (15) centres by providing manpower, camera-fitted mobiles and motorcycles for quick response to calls received on the helpline."

DIG Shaikh added that in these model police stations, the senior officers will be responsible for the improvement of investigation units, which will be allotted camera fitted mobiles, new motorcycles as well as additional officers and personnel.

He said that the senior officials holding the ranks of Station Investigations Officers (SIOs) and Investigation Officers (IOs) will also be given weekly lectures on forensic and DNA testing by experts.

Interestingly, the police officers will not ask the government for the additional expenses. The senior officers, who have been made responsible for the model police stations, will bear all the expenses. "We will ask the department for additional funds when we have something to show in terms of our performance," said DIG Shaikh. "We (senior officers) will bear all the expenses with our own funds as we are responsible for the overall situation within his model police station," Old City SSP Sheeraz Nazeer told The Express Tribune. "The building's infrastructure such as the waiting room and reception will be on our first priority to provide a friendly environment to the citizens."

The SHOs of these selected model police stations also welcomed the decision. "No doubt, there are black sheep in our department but isn't this the case everywhere?" questioned SHO Imdad Ali Khawaja. "Why must people always point fingers at the police?" he asked. He hoped that the decision will vastly improve the image of the police in the eyes of the public.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2014.