Islamabad Police have established intelligence units at 18 police stations across the city in a bid to improve policing in the capital.
Two officials each have been selected from all police stations to receive training in intelligence gathering by premier intelligence agencies of the country.
The two-member units will help the police force fight crime more effectively.
The intelligence units will share information both within the department and externally with other law enforcement agencies. They will also keep the SHO and senior officers informed about various activities in their jurisdiction and highlight matters that need attention of the police.
A police official, who did not want to be named, said intelligence units were a need of the hour for the police force in the current security situation. He said the local police are often too occupied with routine law and order problems and fighting street crime and thus do not realise the importance of broader and focused local surveillance.
“The intelligence teams will enhance police efficiency in areas of reconnaissance, planning, target-hardening and response. They will also collect critical information related to criminals, provide substantive insight into various threats and identify suspected individuals,” said the official.
The official further said that information collection will be a constant process, along with ongoing verification and analysis of data. The units are also expected to encourage bottom-up coordination between intelligence agencies and the local police.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2014.
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