Police to be digitally monitored

LAHORE
OPERATIONS Wing of Lahore Police has finally devised a strategy to organise force through digital monitoring to improve the image of police in the eyes of public and top brass. It will help in redressing the grievances of citizens effectively and efficiently.
Inspector General of Police Punjab Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera visited the operation room on Friday and appreciated the efforts of DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf. He said the system of digital monitoring and smart policing would be replicated in all districts of the province.
DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf started the project titled “Digital Monitoring and Smart Policing” with the aim that it would prove a game changer against the myth of traditional thana culture. Now, the cops working in the field and at offices would not be able to make their bosses fool as the new digital system will locate them and their activities round-the-clock. During the first phase of revamping of thana culture, Dr Haider Ashraf identified that there was no organised system to record the complainants coming to police stations while police officers were also not accessible to the victims.
He found that operational police force was depended on subject checking and had become habitual of telling lies during operations. The issue of accessibility was handled through modern technology which included complaints management system. Public now can access police through an SMS to 8330 and police would follow the complainants and trace their cases. Another initiative was the interactive use of social media so that the response of public could directly be received by the officers concerned. A UAN number has also been installed at the upgraded system of Rescue 15 so that people can get immediate response against emergencies.
DIG Operations has also introduced an android phone application named “Lahore Police 15” for immediate contact at the Rescue 15 control room. It has three major features which include Rescue 15 for emergency services, Anti-Terrorism Hotline and Police Complaints Cell. To cope with the flaws in the monitoring of force in the field, DIG Operations in coordination with Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) introduced the concept of Operations Room which has initially been installed at Model Town Division.
The operation rooms have been equipped with 15-dashboard which enables officers to monitor all the incoming calls and dispatched force from the nerve centre. The control of dispatched vehicles/force is unique and has been introduced for the first time in the police force of Pakistan. The dashboard can also classify the incoming calls according to their severity. The caller’s feedback can also be obtained through SMS and it will enable police officers to know the quality and time of reaction.
Operations police has also introduced concept of crime mapping so that the patrolling could be focused in crime-hit areas. The incoming call will also be automatically delivered to the beat officer for quick response. Dr Haider Ashraf told The News that Lahore Police would also sign an MoU with cellular companies to broadcast public awareness messages from the operation room to the cell phone numbers of citizens. Recently Lahore Police have introduced mobile policing by providing 300 android cell phones equipped with various apps to beat officers. The cops will have immediate access to the watch list of suspects, who are POs, CAs or recently released. Mobile patrolling officers will be able to check the individuals on pickets by entering their CNICs or just feeding their names. It will help in controlling unnecessary harassment of people.
The harassment of pillion riders in the name of checking of suspected vehicles will also come to an end as through the specific app only those motorcycles will be confiscated whose number will be in the database of stolen vehicles. All the other motorcycle/vehicles will not be confiscated/impounded illegally by the police, believed DIG Haider Ashraf. The digital system will also help police officers to monitor the raids conducted on suspects and proclaimed offenders as the criminality has been divided into beats. Moreover, the data of arrested persons will be matched immediately to the Criminal Record Office and new suspects can be entered in the database.
The digital tracing of cops will also facilitate officers to check the cops on their duty point which was previously not possible without physical checking. Dr Haider Ashraf said that Lahore police would gradually move towards paperless monitoring and assessment of performance through digital devices. Reports will be automatically generated through various filters.