Lahore city police stretched thin

As the city’s population has swelled to ten times the number of people present during independence

LAHORE: The city’s population has swelled to ten times the number of people present during independence, but the deployment of police personnel for the security of citizens has not grown at the same rate. This is one of the main reasons that law enforcement officials are constantly complaining about being overwhelmed when it comes to securing the lives and property of locals.

While there has been a decrease in rates of street crimes, terror attacks, like the one at Data Darbar earlier this month, could not be avoided. Analysts suggest that such incidents are ample proof that the force has been stretched thin.

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A look back at history will reveal that the population explosion has not been matched with growth in the police force. At the time of independence in 1947, there was one SP, two DSPs and nine police stations. To counter the increasing population by 1972, the number of police station was increased from 9 to 12 and Lahore was divided into the City and Cant divisions. Fast forward to 1990 and a rapidly growing Lahore, the number of police stations reached 30 with the addition of the Saddar Division.  When the Model Town Division was added, four SPs were deployed in the four divisions of the city and the number of police stations rose to 42.

The year 2000 saw a revolution when it came to the administrative affairs of the force as police stations jumped to 76. However, the population was increasing at a faster rate. The number of divisions in the city became nine when Civil Lines, Kot Lakhpat, Mughalpura, Ravi Town and Iqbal Town were added. However, in 2007, the Ravi Town, Mughalpura and Kot Lakhpat divisions were dissolved.

To improve performance, investigation and operation wings were added 2012. This also increased the number of senior officers deployed with six SPs for each of the entities. In addition, an investigation in charge was deployed alongside the SHO of all police stations.

It wasn’t until 2006 that the stations were equipped with computers as a step towards modernising FIR registration. However, observers at the time said the modern machines served as nothing more than showpieces and soon disappeared as there were not connected to a main server.

All the while, the population kept growing and there was no effective mechanism to register the growing number of complaints, let alone enough members of the force to take action. To cater to as many locals as possible, ASIs were deployed as duty officers.

Later, administration officers, who received training on how to behave properly with complainants, were deployed at these stations. Meanwhile, a project to establish model police stations was launched as a better way of dealing with complaints, along with an appropriate budget for the purpose. Many of them are still under construction, but are no longer being built as model police stations.

However, some recent efforts to improve effective patrolling and community policing have borne fruit, such as the establishment of the Dolphin Squad and Police Response Unit. Also, measures to incentivise members of the force included hospitals at police lines and agreements with schools to educate the children of officers.

The added incentives, it was noticed by analysts, served as a catalyst to improve performance. The crime rate was on the decline and despite the threat of terrorism, international cricket returned to Lahore for the first time since the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009.

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The city was also able to peacefully and successfully host the Pakistan Super League Final, adding another feather to the cap of the Lahore police. There was further progress with the establishment of operation rooms at the offices of all divisional SPs. Also, it was decided that SHOs deployed at police stations would be no lower than the rank of sub inspectors.

While all these factors have helped reduce crime, most stakeholders are agreed that the Lahore police are stretched thin and numbers need to increase to cater to the rising population. While street crime is on the decline, the threat of terror still looms large.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2019.