Time to implement effective community policing

Islamabad:Director General (DG) of the National Police Bureau (NPB), Ehsan Sadiq said Thursday that the role of women police officer is effective as well as professional in police force. He said that the process of promotion of women police is quite slow but it has been accepted that women police officers concentrate on professionalism and upgrading improvement on merit.

Ehsan Sadiq, was speaking on the occasion of the ‘Policy Dialogue’ was organised by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) with which Dr Syed Kaleem Iman is engaged as ‘Short Term Adviser, in collaboration with the National Police Bureau (NPB) at the NPB Auditorium as guest of honour. There was a prolonged dialogue, which went well over one hour beyond its scheduled time, in which the participants spoke their minds out without mincing words while expressing their opinions and ideas to push the idea of ‘Advancing Gender Inclusion in Effective Community Policing’.

The participants of the dialogue were drawn from Police, the National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP), the Pakistan Railway Police (PRP) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), representing all ranks from the Inspector-General to the constable. Dr Syed Kaleem Imam, the former inspector-general of police and federal secretary, while welcoming the participants encouraged them to come up with their thoughts and ideas openly to help not only find a way forward but to iron out the flaws in the present system.

That was enough encouragement for the participants, especially the women officers who spoke eagerly about all aspects. It seemed despite being in police uniforms they face harassment of various categories not only from outside (civilians) but from within the department as well. But there was consensus that with the passage of time as the gender inclusion will be advanced gradually, such aspects would wipe out and policing will improve.

The speakers were of the view that the presence of women at all ranks of police will make crime detection and investigation easier as the women officials and officers can have access to the inner confines of any situation more easily as compared with the male, who are openly resented and even challenged. Former Inspector-General of Police and National Coordinator of National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) also shared his thoughts, and events from his experience. At a point when the discussion became argumentative he even sounded losing his patience but hastily covered up.

Young women officers expressed their concerns because they were not just police officers or officials but daughters and mothers as well who have to shoulder the domestic responsibilities that they cannot shrug off.

They were also concerned about the non-availability of certain facilities while on duty, either on the roads and highways or in the offices because the whole system is developed according to the needs and requirements of male and not female. Jameel Hashmi, who retired as AIG Logistics in the NH&MP before serving as the SSP (Security) has his experience to share with the participants.

“Being the SP I-9, I was also responsible for the first ‘Women Police Station’ established in the Federal Capital and when I was transferred to G-6, again the second ‘Women Police Station’ established in Markaz G-7 fell under my jurisdiction,” Jameel Hashmi recalled.

He said that one disturbing aspect he observed was the women inmates in these Women Police Stations complained about far abusive behaviour of women police officials as compared with the male officials! In the end a special message recorded by the Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Pakistan, Dr Inoussa Kabore, was played on the screen. Dr Inoussa in his recorded message thanked the USIP and the NPB for organizing the ‘Dialogue’, which he described as ‘Important and Critical Event’.

“UNICEF works with government UN partners, communities, Civil Society Organisations and Primate Sector, both in development and humanitarian settings to strengthen community systems where boys, girls, men and women can feel safe to access social services without discrimination,” Dr Inoussa said. Presence of the first woman PSP officer, Haleena Iqbal Saeed, who retired as the Additional Inspector-General (AIG), must have been inspiring for the young women police officers and officials who took part in the dialogue.