‘Policing isn’t easy in Quetta’

DIG operations says lack of manpower, technology makes it even harder.

QUETTA: The police in Quetta are finding it hard to maintain order and peace in the city due to lack of human resources as there are merely 5,500 police recruits deployed for a population of around one million.

Talking to journalists, DIG Operations Quetta Hamid Shakil said that it has become a very difficult task for the police to overcome crime with fewer policemen.

“As many as 2,200 out of 5,500 personnel, including officers, are deputed within CPO, CCPO and Operations. A single policeman is deputed for 450 civilians. Under such circumstances there is need of 15,000 more police personnel in the city,” he explained.

Commenting over the installation of CCTV cameras in the city, Shakil said that surveillance cameras had been installed in few places, but the project has been abandoned due to a lack of funds.

“Until cameras are not set up in all the sensitive areas, the ratio of crime will not decrease,” said Shakil, adding that only Education Minister Tahir Mahmood has provided funds for the installation and it would be better if other ministers also contribute.

Two months earlier, former CCPO Ghulam Shabbir Shiekh also complained about the lack of funds for surveillance cameras.

“Policemen do not have the technology to trace calls of cell phones because in present circumstances it is impossible to give criminals a tough time without being equipped with modern technologies,” he added.

According to sources, the police in Quetta have been prevented from acquiring technology for tracing calls by secret agencies. The Sindh Police has also been stopped from purchasing similar technology.

However, the Home Department has said that they are going to purchase technologies to trace satellite calls as banned outfits usually claim the responsibility of suicide attacks, bomb blasts, target killings and attacks on government installations.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2010.