Sindh police training IOs to improve criminal investigation

A Special Sexual Offences Investigation Unit (SSOIU) has been formed at the Central Police Office, Karachi, on the orders of Sindh police chief IG Ghulam Nabi Memon, and it has started special training sessions to explain the unit’s importance, and its aims and objectives.

Besides the police officers involved as master trainers in the training session, Dr Susan Gurney, an associate professor at the University of Cambridge, took part in the online training session to benefit the participants with her experiences and analyses.

The participants were informed about the use of forensic, ballistic and fibre technologies, and the importance of fingerprinting in all matters, to raise the success rate of their cases. Dr Susan told them about new research conducted internationally on crimes against women and their prevention, and about maintaining high standards of evidence, the standards of chain of custody, and investigative techniques to deal with challenges.

Investigation DIG Zulfiqar Ali Mehar, who conducted this special session with Gender-Based Crime & Human Rights AIG Shehla Qureshi, said that the quality of investigation is being further improved across the province through various training programmes, under which investigating officers are being trained on all aspects of investigation and the necessary techniques during the first phase.

Crime & Investigation DIG Amir Farooqui told the participants about the report on crime statistics and the increase in the conviction rate on the basis of effective investigation of cases and solid challans. Fouzia Tariq, president of the social welfare organisation Law Is My Protector, told them about the legal and technical problems faced by the police, including timely response in different districts against gender-based crimes.

Former IG Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui also highlighted various technical issues and important points regarding judicial procedures. The investigation SSP and the city’s IOs who participated in the session asked questions about the technical and legal issues related to investigation.

IG Memon and Fouzia also signed an MoU, under which international master trainers would be hired for conducting trainings in the field of investigation.