Police chief demands record of rented places

Police have no central database to share information, say other officers.

LAHORE:

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ahmad Raza Tahir has directed the police to keep a record of all rented accommodations in the city and told owners of such accommodations to provide information on tenants to the police.

The city’s police chief said in a statement that property dealers and owners should inform the police of any rent agreement and provide documentation to the police station within 48 hours. He said that strict action would be taken against officials who are derelict and do not keep a complete record.

Other police officials said that such a record was not very useful in the absence of a centralised information sharing system.

Tahir said that property dealers and managers of hotels and guesthouses should also maintain a record, and those who do not would be “proceeded against”, as well as the station house officer (SHO) concerned. He did not say under what law the owners would be proceeded against.

The CCPO said that the measure would help foil terrorist plots. “Saboteurs usually try to find a rented place for themselves in the city and then carry out surveillance of their target,” he said.

He urged citizens to report any suspicious activity by unfamiliar persons in their neighbourhood to the police. “Information provided by the masses so that the police can [prevent] crime,” he said.

He said that the police must act immediately on receipt of any such information from citizens, failing which the negligent officials would be punished.

Intelligence sharing

Senior police officials, speaking with The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity, said that the police were already collecting information on rented accommodations, but it was not that useful in the absence of a centralised database.

“Information about a tenant in one police station is not available to other police stations. There is no centralised computer record. There should be a computer in every police station that can be used to access a database with information of all criminals and suspects,” said one official.

They also said that there was no law compelling property owners, hotels and guesthouses to provide information on all guests, so the police had no legal basis to take action against them.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2011.