Shorter shifts, better mental healthcare suggested for cops

KARACHI:

An eight-hour duty shift, better living conditions, along with mental and physical health screening, are some of the recommendations a panel of police officers has put forward for their peers.

The committee investigating the causes leading to the murder of DSP Faiz Muhammad Dayo of Hyderabad, by his own gunman, has made these suggestions to prevent such incidents in future.

Constable Asif Chandio, in his confessional statement, said he killed DSP Dayo due to the latter's abusive behavior. He claimed that the deceased police officer would hurl profanities at subordinates.

The constable, reportedly in a fit of rage, shot the DSP when they were on patrol near Pakora Chowk in the Qasimabad locality of Hyderabad on February 3.

Subsequently, Sindh IG Mushtaq Ahmad Mahar ordered a committee to investigate the causes leading to the incident and issue recommendations to prevent such incidents in future.

The panel of police officers sent these proposals to frontline officials, seeking their feedback and observations.

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The recommendations include regular check-ups of police personnel by a team of psychologists and psychiatrists before recruiting, training and promotions.

The committee has recommended that regular mental health tests of police officers, deployed as gunmen and guards, should be carried out by psychologists, keeping in view the sensitivity of duty across the province.

It is also recommended that psychological reports of police officers should be kept in their police files and digital records through Human Resource Management Software (HRMS).

It said that the department should conduct awareness seminars on stress management at district level, and steps should be taken to improve living conditions of cops.

The police constable should also be provided proper accommodation so that they keep their families with them and understand the importance of family life.

Duty hours should be reduced to eight hours per day. Rotational duty of gunmen and guards must be carried out according to working police rules so that equality can be established and enable them to perform various tasks.

Policemen posted as gunmen should also be allowed to perform desk duties. Similarly, the practice of alternative duty should be generalised so that repeating the same work does not create difficulty for other work in their temperament.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2022.