Pindi embraces tech to curb phone snatching

Shopkeepers, technicians to install ‘e-gadget software’ to track stolen devices

RAWALPINDI:

In response to a surge in mobile phone theft in Rawalpindi, a new system is being implemented to track mobile phone snatchers, which will work by keeping a record of all phones sold through the ‘e-gadget software’.

Under the precautionary plan, mobile store shopkeepers and technicians have been instructed by police to install the record-keeping software and update all mobile purchases, including their sale and repair orders onto the system.

The development comes after a notable increase in mobile phone theft cases in Rawalpindi. It is reported that each day, 20 to 25 phones are stolen or snatched.

The system will help prevent incidents of mobile phone snatching and theft, which includes the resale of stolen mobile phones. Once, shopkeepers download the software, they will make an entry into the system each time they sell a mobile phone or each time a phone is submitted for repair.

The record-keeping will ensure that owners of mobile phones are traceable through the system. This will be helpful in investigating phone snatchers if they bring stolen phones for sale or repair to a store.

Read: 52 people killed, 4,777 bikes stolen, snatched last month

The mobile phone dealers and technicians have also been obliged to keep a complete record of those, who came to the market for sale, purchase and repair of mobile phones and in order to make the monitoring more strict, CPO Rawalpindi Khalid Hamdani created regular SOPs and assigned the task to the Rawalpindi Police at the police station level to oblige all the mobile phone dealers and technicians in their respective areas to download the e-gadget software of the Punjab Police and oblige them to update the entries in the software whenever they buy, sell or repair the mobile phones of those, who came to the market and those who do not do so, after verification, legal action should be taken against them.

Although Rawalpindi CPO Khalid Hamdani issued orders to divisional SPs to implement the plan, a review revealed that only 43 entries had been made into the software. This is in spite of the fact that there are 4500 mobile phone stores registered in Rawalpindi and that both sale of phones and snatching cases are on the rise.

Multiple letters ordering a review of the plan’s progress have been issued since October 2023 to December 2023. The letters explained that the e-gadget software standard of procedures have been compiled and repeated instructions have been issued to check whether mobile phone vendors and mobile shops have installed the e-gadget application.

Legal action has been ordered against vendors and shop owners who have not yet installed the application and are not following orders to promptly update the system with required details.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2024.