Public safety: Holidays for policemen frustrate officers

Some superintendents of police (SPs) say that police performance has suffered because of the weekly day off.

LAHORE: Police personnel below the BS-17 might be happy with the weekly holiday announced by the inspector general of police on January 13, but senior police officers do not approve of the decision.

Some superintendents of police (SPs) even say that police performance has suffered because of the weekly day off. However, inspectors, sub inspectors, assistant sub inspectors, head constables and constables insist that a weekly holiday has improved their performance since they “get to take a day’s break after days of hectic routine”.

SPs serving in various areas of the province, while talking to The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity, said that they were not in favour of the weekly day off for field staff. Most of them cited shortage of staff for their lack of enthusiasm for the IGP’s announcement.

An SP said that many of his colleagues were thinking of taking up their reservations with the IGP in this regard. “Police stations are already short on staff and this weekly holiday has exacerbated the situation,” he said.

According to the SP, about 700 police personnel work in his division. “After implementation of the IG’s orders, the number of men on duty has come down to 600. What’s worse is that we can’t even call the men who have the day off for duty in case of an emergency. They simply switch off their mobile phones.”

Another SP agreed with his colleague, saying, “They are determined to avail their day off. Even if there is an emergency they are not ready to come in. Police station staff has to perform a number of tasks that include protocol duty, security duty and emergency duty. With fewer men we are stretched thin.” The police officer also objected to the officials getting two to three earned leaves in a month in addition to their weekly days off. The SP said that they had finalised some recommendations for the IGP for provision of holidays to the filed staff.

‘If police officials are to be given holidays, they should be allowed one day off after a fortnight,” he suggested. Another recommendation that he plans on making is not to give a weekly day off to the investigation wing staff. “They do not need holidays since their routine is not as hectic as that of the operation wing staff. I also think that a strict monitoring system should be devised before allowing the staff to take a day off,” he added. According to him, investigation wing personnel only spent three to four hours on the job daily, “They also take a day off every week. That is wrong. Only those officials who work full shifts should be given a day off.”

Sub Inspector Niaz Khan, when told about senior officers’ reservations had this to say, “The weekly holiday has helped us discharge our duties efficiently. We can unwind by spending a day at home after six days of hectic routine. If some high-ups have reservations, they should hire more people instead of recommending that the decision be revoked.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2011.