System overhaul: Police diversification suggested to improve thana culture

Police Dept being categorised into six sections to improve performance.


Our Correspondent July 02, 2014

LAHORE:


The Police Department is being divided into six categories to change the thana culture and make the force more friendly towards people, Police Reforms Committee Chairman Shuja Khanzada said on Wednesday.


The six categories are Command and Control Centre, Crime Scene Investigation, Riot Police, Pool Net, Dolphin Police Unit and Anti-terrorism, he told the media.

Khanzada said that 600 cameras would be installed at sensitive locations in big cities in order to check crime and manage traffic. He said that 70 companies had contacted the government to install the cameras. “The company that will meet the standards of transparency will be given the contract to install the cameras,” he said.

He said work to set up the Command and Control Centre was underway and the project would be made operational by December. He said the scope of the centre would be extended to Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan next year.

Khanzada said the Dolphin Police Unit would be set up with the help of the Turkish government. He thanked Turkey for helping the Punjab government complete several project of public welfare.

He said the Turkish government had sent information technology experts to help the Punjab Police introduce IT in the department. The Turkish IT experts are training Punjab Police without charging any fee, he said.

Under the Pool Net Section, Khanzada said, the police record would be computerised. Criminal records would also be available in this section, he said.

He said with the introduction of the Pool Net Section, police would be able to respond quickly to public complaints.

He said that Riot Police personnel would be given special training in order to perform well during riots and unrest. The national police of Turkey would help Punjab Police set up the Riot Police section.

The provincial government has earlier said that Dolphin Unit Police will help eradicate street crime. It said that a team of Dolphin Police Unit would consist of four police officials. Turkish police experts would train officials of the unit that would start working towards the end the year.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2014.

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