Suspects go unchecked in police record

Field cops skip online entries of hotel passengers, tenants & cell phone traders

RAWALPINDI:

Police authorities have detected a few entries in the online software programmes meant to monitor the everyday records of passengers, tenants and traders dealing in cell phone sales, purchases and repairs.

The initiatives aim to prevent terrorism incidents and heinous crimes in the district.

The city police chief, during an inspection, raised alarm after finding discouraging records of e-gadgets, hotel entries, and Travel Eye software. Police check the movements of terrorists, suspected elements and criminals with heinous records.

Out of 4,800 registered mobile phone shops, only 44 mobile phone entries were found in the online software. The same scenario was found with more than 1,100 hotels.

CPO Khalid Hamdani instructed the divisional SPs to penalise the negligent officials.

Information gleaned from reliable sources revealed that the city police chief issued a letter to the four divisional SPs including the Pothohar and Rawal SPs. The written correspondence stated that instructions were earlier issued multiple times to ensure online entries of the daily record of hotels, renters and business operators. However, no records were found in e-gadget, Hotel/Travel Eye and TENANTS software and that the guidelines were not being put into practice.

Patrolling officers fail to reach the hotels in time despite being informed through Hotel/Travel Eye by the concerned police station. Consequently, it becomes challenging to apprehend the wanted criminals and suspects. The incidents of snatching have witnessed an upward trend. Rawalpindi has a total of 4,800 registered mobile phone shops. Surprisingly, on April 28, only 44 entries for the sale and repair of mobile phones were recorded, which cast doubt on the police performance. Similarly, dismal entries of hotel guests were found despite 1100 hotels in the district.

The letter binds the divisional SPs to ensure that SHOs of police stations and investigating officers make online entries in online software programmes amid the prevailing security situation in the country and the increasing number of terror incidents. The CPO has warned of departmental action against negligent officials and ordered the SPs to furnish reports of such officials.

Published in The Express Tribune May 11^th, 2024.