New police stations touted as panacea to crime hike

Initiative ‘aims to deal with rapid urbanisation’

LAHORE:

The provincial capital is set to witness the establishment of 10 new police stations as part of an initiative by the Lahore police leadership to address the surge in crime associated with rapid urbanisation, particularly in border areas of the city.

The move involves elevating police posts (chowkis) with extensive geographical jurisdiction or high crime rates and populations to the status of independent police stations. Among the transformations, Chowki Sher Shah of Police Station Chung, Chowki Jia Bagga of Raiwind Police Station, Chowki Chand Rai of Kot Lahpat Police Station, Chowki Sui Asal and Haloki of Kahna Police Station, Chowki Begum Kot from Shahdara, and Chowki Sabzi Mandi from Nishtar Colony Police Station will all become separate police stations. Additionally, Baghbanpura Police Station will be divided into two, creating a new Shahid Shaheed Police Station.

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This move comes after a similar proposal in 2020 when then CCPO Lahore Zulfiqar Hameed discussed the creation of 11 new police stations. The decision to establish new police stations is guided by factors such as crime density, population, and the expansive geographical area covered by existing police stations.

Historically, Lahore has seen a progressive increase in the number of police stations, reflecting the city’s growth and changing administrative needs.

From nine police stations in 1947, the count rose to 76 in 2000, and currently stands at 84 after administrative changes in 2012.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2023.