One step forward: Sindh police launch handbook to control crime effectively

The first ever book explaining the complexities of police investigations in Sindh launched.

KARACHI:

Basic Investigation Handbook — the first-ever book explaining the complexities of police investigations and the basic usage of modern gadgets in criminal cases — was launched at the Central Police Office on Wednesday to train the police officials on how to effectively curb crime. 

Co-authored by DIG Abdul Khalique Shaikh and AIG (retd) Mohammad Akbar of the Sindh police, the book is the first part of 10 training modules which the Sindh Police’s Curriculum Development Programme will be producing to train the police with both traditional and modern techniques.



US State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is collaborating by providing financial assistance. US Consul-General in Karachi Michael Dodman and INL Afghanistan Pakistan representative along with officials of the Sindh police attended the book launch ceremony.

The chief guest of the ceremony, Sindh IG Shahid Nadeem Baloch, in his speech, said that for a very long time they had wanted professional training modules and textbooks but modules of professional standards are not easy to develop.

“No police officers have developed elaborate training modules in their areas of investigations, crime prevention and counter-terrorism. The Sindh police have taken the lead in introducing curriculum-development programmes in the country,” he said.

He lauded the efforts of DIG Shaikh, who is the coordinator of curriculum-development programme, and the INL for its support. “Many books on investigation are available in the market but this handbook is different as it not only focuses on the basics of the investigations in the light of criminal procedure code, law of evidence, national judicial policy and police work but at the same time, introduces readers to the modern concepts of investigation, including crime scene management, mobile phone forensics, cybercrimes, geo-fencing, polygraph tests and facial recognition and identification system.”

Baloch directed the additional inspector general of Sindh police to prescribe the book as compulsory for the intermediate and upper school courses at the police department. He also said the coordinator of the curriculum-development programme should expedite Urdu and Sindhi translations of the book and make it available for trainees.

“Law and order situation is critical throughout Sindh. It’s critical to the lives of the citizens,” said the US consul-general, adding that they are working with the police and other authorities to find ways to assist in the law and order situation. Dodman said that for the success of an institution the most important ingredient is its manpower and each institution has to invest in its staff.

“This project is about investing in people. It’s about making sure that the police officers who are out on the streets have the required skills,” said Dodman. He said that they have started with the basic module and the upcoming ones will be more comprehensive. “The content of the book is focussed on Sindh,” he said, adding that the book is not a translation from a handbook in New York but the result of the hard work of the Sindh police.

“After thinking a lot about how to bring the requisite change in police training, we identified many areas and two of the most prominent aspects were the quality of trainers and the quality of text books and reading material,” said DIG Shaikh. He was of the view that if the instructors don’t have good books to train the officers then there will be no improvement.

US gifts coaster for female police officers

Smiling broadly, US Consul-General in Karachi Michael Dodman handed out the keys of a gleaming white coaster to the IG of Sindh police as female police officers hurriedly took seats for a photograph.

One out of the three buses which have been donated by the US State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs for the female officers of the Sindh police stood in the courtyard of the Central Police Office on Thursday.

“These coasters will help transport female officers from their homes to police stations, and be useful in general response to crime scenes,” said Dodman at its launch ceremony.

For the female police officers, the bus comes as a relief as they face severe transportation issues. The shortage of police vehicles for the female staff makes them rely on public transport to move from different duties to the police stations or from their homes to workplaces.

“When we are working till late, for instance the Sindh festival these days, we spend all night at the police station. We don’t feel comfortable going in rickshaws or buses to our homes at night,” said an officer.

Moving from one duty to another is also a problem said officer Hajra, adding that they can’t ride bikes or drive cars like male officers.

Two of the coasters were previously presented to the East and West zone police stations, while the third one is now being gifted to the South zone police station. Equipped with an automatic door, the buses having 25 seats each can accommodate over a hundred officers.

South zone female police station SHO Syeda Ghazala seemed happy and hoped that they would soon get the custody of the vehicles. “Transportation is one major problem that we face while performing our duties. I hope this step would change things and we will be able to work more efficiently.”

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2014.