Sindh Police to establish Regional Police Chief offices to head five ranges

HYDERABAD: The Sindh Police is considering the creation of two offices of Regional Police Chiefs, which will head five police ranges including Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana.

The Sindh Police IG Dr Syed Kaleem Imam directed on Tuesday senior police officers to submit their recommendations over the draft proposal on immediate basis.

"... a proposal for re-designation of RPC Hyderabad (BS-21) and RPC Sukkur (BS-21) has been moved to Sindh government," the letter written by Establishment DIGP Muneer Ahmed Shaikh reads. The additional IGPs, DIGs and SSPs have been asked to share their input.



The Hyderabad RPC's jurisdiction will extend to 15 districts of Hyderabad, Benazirabad and Mirpurkhas police ranges while that of the Sukkur RPC will comprise eight districts of Sukkur and Larkana police ranges.

Financial powers

The RPCs can release up to Rs1 million for repair of office buildings and Rs100,000 for repair of vehicles. All the matters of police buildings, land and property as well as audit and inspection will fall under the chiefs.

The cases of pensions of DSPs and inspectors will be handled by them and they will keep oversight on the financial matters relating to the districts and the police ranges.

Administrative powers

The postings and transfers of the DSPs within the region, the transfer of officers up to BS-17 from one police range to another range within the region and service and disciplinary matters relating to BS-15 and BS-16 will be under the purview of the RPC. The RPC will be the appellate authority for the constable to inspector level officials.

The chiefs will oversee and ensure implementation of policing plans which will be prepared by the SSPs at the district levels. The allotment of residential accommodation to SPs and DSPs will also fall under them.

"The RPC will interfere as little as possible with the executive authority of the DIG Range police. The RPC will let them exercise their inherent powers under the rules."

Operational powers

The RPCs can exercise the powers of the Station House Officers (SHOs). They can conduct inspection of the police ranges and the district police and hear public complaints against the police.

The chiefs will oversee the political intelligence and criminal intelligence, besides their responsibility of collecting and communication intelligence relating to public peace, crime and general.

They will also coordinate with the intelligence agencies and other law enforcement agencies besides liaison with the army.

Training

The chiefs will also exercise powers on the police training schools in their respective regions and they will ensure conduct of the training programs for the senior and junior officers. "As a measure of constant capacity building, all RPCs shall ensure that the DSPs of their region undergo at least one week training every year."

Community policing 

The RPCs will have to promote community policing by organising awareness campaigns. They will provide guidance besides facilitating the establishment of citizen police liaison committees in each district in their region.

They will have to undertake community policing projects in the form of neighbourhood watch and dispute resolution at the neighbourhood level. "[The RPCs shall] ensure that the concept of village policing is revived by encouraging volunteer policemen. Such policemen should be provided basic training in community policing before they are assigned to their villages."

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2019.