Punjab police sets up SOS box in Rawalpindi stations

Devices put up in Civil Lines, Jhelum police stations under pilot project

RAWALPINDI: To guarantee transparency in the way police operate and to end the traditional ‘police culture’, the Rawalpindi police has decided to launch a Madadgar digital device. This device, with an alert button, has been installed in two police stations of the division on Saturday under a pilot project.

One device has been installed at the Civil Lines Police Station, while the other has been affixed at a police station in Jhelum.

Under the project, these devices have been fixed outside the offices of the station house officers (SHOs) of every police station across the district. Complainants can seek help by pressing the red button on the device if their grievances are not being heard by police officers.

Civil Lines ASP Benish Fatima told The Express Tribune that by pressing the button, an emergency message will be sent to the offices of the respective circle’s DSP, the City Police Officer (CPO) and the Regional Police Officer (RPO).

Citizens can then directly share their grievances with senior police officials.

She added that the pilot project has been initiated from Rawalpindi and Jhelum to assess its performance.

The ASP further said that this device will remain active from 3 pm to 7 pm every day and will operate as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the Punjab police. The SOP obligates SHOs across the province to sit in their offices and listen to public complaints.

ASP Fatima added that apart from the emergency message butting, the device has also been pre-fitted with a camera which will stream a live feed from the police station to police headquarters where the relevant officers will monitor it and guard against tampering.

Moreover, it will stream video to the Circle’s DSP, the CPO, and RPO whenever the button is pressed so that these officers can also see what is happening inside the police station and take timely action and hold errant cops if any, accountable, she explained.

Rawalpindi RPO Sohail Tajik, while speaking to The Express Tribune, confirmed that the pilot project has been launched in two police stations.

Tajik assured that all police stations in Rawalpindi will be facilitated with technology soon, including the women police station.

The police official further clarified that owning a smartphone is not required for a complainant to be able to use this technology, as it only required a simple press of a button at a device installed in the police station to grant them access to senior police officers for the redress of complaints. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2020.