Technology: Computerisation of record vital for prompt justice, says IGP

Sukhera reviews matters related to Legal Branch, biometric system and Police Complaint Centre

LAHORE: IGP Mushtaq Sukhera chaired a meeting on Thursday to review progress on computerisation and data entry process in Police Department’s human resource management information system. The meeting at Central Police Office also took up matters related to Legal Branch, biometric system, police’s website and Police Complaint Centre.

Investigation Additional IGP Arif Nawaz, Legal Branch Additional IGP Ali Zulnorain, Operations DIG Amir Zulfiqar, IT DIG Shahid Hanif and Headquarters DIG BA Nasir attended the meeting.

The IGP said paperless policing and computerisation of department’s affairs would help deliver timely justice to citizens. “That is why front desk staff is being empowered [through the use of information technology] by de-linking them from the role of moharrars (clerks) and SHOs at police stations,” Sukhera said.

Finance AIG Hussain Habib Imtiaz told the participants that 1,234 more officials with expertise in information technology had been hired for front desks. They had been hired following a National Testing Service test, Imtiaz said. The officials included 132 senior station assistants and 1,102 police station assistants. Their training will be completed shortly, the AIG said.

The IGP was informed of the 187,766 sanctioned executive posts, salary record of 147,703 officers record had been made part of the data system. The participants also discussed the preparation of a software for the Legal Branch.

Legal Branch AIG Ahsan Younas said disposal of matters by courts, alerts regarding implementation of court directives, data entry of court verdicts and the history of pending cases were being incorporated in the software.

The IGP directed the Legal Department to expedite the data entry process.

Complaints AIG Syed Khurram Ali Shah told the IGP that over the last eight months, the Police Complaint Centre had received 16,286 complaints. Of these, 6,531 complaints were received through 8,787 call service, 4,402 through post, 1,276 through SMS, 2,553 at open courts (khuli katcheri), and 1,524 though E-mail and other sources.

Shah said 11,458 complaints had been redressed and 4,275 complainants provided relief. As many as 1,474 complaints have been disposed of for being non-cognisable. He said 4,070 complaints had turned out to be false.

Lahore Operations DIG Haider Ashraf apprised the meeting of introduction of bio-metric system in all six divisions in the city.

The IGP praised police for their performance during Eid holidays.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2016.