DIG Security Maqsood Ahmed Memon sheds light on drastic improvements in Madadgar-15

The 15 police emergency in Sindh has been drastically improved in a short span of six months, after which the average response time of police to the emergency calls is less than 10 minutes, which was earlier 30 minutes.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Maqsood Ahmed Memon who is responsible for the Security Units of the Sindh police said this during an interview to The News. He discussed the working of units under his command.

DIG Memon joined the police service of Pakistan in 2000, after having a stint in the Pakistan Navy. Since then, he served first in Punjab and then in different areas in Sindh in a variety of command and staff assignments.

The officer has an eminent career spanning more than 28 years. He is a recipient of the Tamghai-Imtiaz and various international fellowships. He has served on different positions of middle management in the Pakistan Navy and senior management in the Police Service of Pakistan.

He has served as the DIG police operations Sindh, SSP security Karachi, assistant inspector general of police forensic division Sindh police, commandant Special Security Unit, commandant Shaheed Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Elite Police Training Centre Razzakabad and town police officer at Capital City Police Karachi. He is currently serving as the DIG of police security & emergency response division Karachi.

DIG Memon is a graduate of Civil Services Academy, National Police Academy, Institute of Business Administration Karachi, London School of Economics and FBI Academy USA. He is also pursuing doctorate in terrorism financing.

He said that he had the distinction of founding the elite special security unit (SSU) in 2010. The SSU is the country's first and only ISO-certified strong law enforcement organisation. He also created the country's first SWAT for the metropolitan city of Karachi. The SWAT comprises highly trained men and women commandos picked from the elite SSU and further trained to respond rapidly round the clock in case of any act of terrorism on the urban terrain.

As the DIG operations for the entire Sindh, DIG Memon was responsible for security management, preparation of master security plans, and professional guidance to police ranges and districts for smooth operation of major and mega events of national importance, including evaluation, assessment and monitoring of judicial enquiries and committee reports.

He said he was also tasked with supervising the face lifting of the Central Police Office Sindh by the inspector general of police. It was the first major renovation of the CPO since its creation in 1972. He took up the challenging task and completed the job within the allocated time and resources, resulting in a state-of-the-art government property. The Shuhada Memorial was a unique feature added during the renovation.

As the head of the newly created Security and Emergency Response Division of the Karachi police, the officer has uplifted the 15 Police emergency in a short span of six months after which the average response time of police to emergency calls has reduced from 30 to 10 minutes.

Moreover, the 15 is now being manned by police personnel, as compared to the past practice when it was outsourced to a private firm. This has also resulted in substantial saving of funds and an approximate Rs3 million per month are being saved by the Sindh police. The 15 service is ISO certified as it follows international best practices.

The Madadgar-15 Call Centre is now operational on the first floor of the Airport Police Station to provide a quick and timely emergency response to the citizens of Karachi. Previously, this unit was working with 328 staffers, having integrated with the Special Security Unit (SSU) and other security division units. It is now operational having a strength of 2,141 staffers with 176 vehicles.

Moreover, 126 call agents and dispatchers are working at the Madadgar-15 Call Centre in three shifts round the clock and they receive approximately 10,000 calls per day. Since its upgrade, the Madadgar-15 has improved its performance extensively and restored the trust of public in the police.

He added that during the coronavirus pandemic a crises management centre was established at the SSU headquarters in mid-March to help citizens of Karachi during the lockdown regarding medical emergencies. The centre was a great success and enhanced the public service image of police department.

The DIG said that he had also established the International Police Association Sindh chapter.

He actively reorganised the forum which now enables all ranks of the Sindh police to benefit from the shared experiences of tbe International Police Association, during its annual get-togethers.