KPK Police shift from traditional to IT assisted Policing
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PESHAWAR (APP): Inspector General of Police (IGP), Nasir Durrani directed the Regional Police Officer (RPOs) to personally supervise and monitor various IT based initiatives of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police including Identity Verification System (IVS), Criminal Record Verification System (CRVS) and Vehicle Verification System (VVS).
These directives were issued by him during the RPOs' conference held on Tuesday, said a press release issued here.
The senior police officers including the Additional IGPs Special Branch, Operations, CTD & Investigation, CCPO Peshawar, all the RPOs, DIG HQ and DIG Finance and Procurement (F&P) attended the conference.
During the meeting, the IGP said IT tools had been very effective in apprehending suspicious persons, criminals, Proclaimed Offenders, suspected / stolen vehicles etc which in turn help in thwarting the perpetration of any sabotage activity.
While stressing the importance of community policing, the IGP directed the RPOs to associate the members of Public Liaison Councils for the collection and verification of the tenants in their respective jurisdictions.
They are also to be involved during the search and strike operations. The collected data of tenants will be properly analyzed to figure out the suspected tenants and for an effective monitoring of their activities.
The IGP stressed on carrying out joint search and strike operations to purge the settled areas of any militant sleeper cells and their facilitators-cum-sympathizers. It was also highlighted that the police checking on the arteries connecting FATA and tribal areas to the settled areas would be enhanced.
It is pertinent to mention that during the current year Mardan Region has been the focus of militant activities which is evident from the fact that all the three major terrorist incidents took place there. These include militant attacks on Bacha Khan University, Charsadda; Shabqadar Courts; and NADRA Regional Office Mardan.
All these cases have been traced and some arrests have also been made.
The Additional IGP Operations explained the offensive-cum-defensive strategy adopted to counter militancy and religiously implement the National Action Plan. The offensive measures include search and strike operations, snap checking and crackdown on militants.
Whereas the defensive measures include denying the bases to the miscreants in settled areas by crack down on illegal immigrants, fake CNIC holders and attesters, tenants with suspicious credentials; target hardening of the sensitive and vulnerable areas; crackdown on dissemination of hate material and misuse of loudspeaker to prevent the propagation of sectarian and anti-state sentiments in the province; and enhanced surveillance of persons belonging to proscribed organizations.
During the meeting the IGP stressed on surveillance of person on Schedule IV list through monthly attendance in the Police Stations, maintenance of their history sheets / personal files, monitoring of their activities, ascertaining their means of subsistence etc.
It is worth mentioning that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police has purchased drone cameras which will be employed for security surveillance of muharram processions, activities in militant infested areas, activities around sensitive and vulnerable establishment and places and raids conducted by elite /RRF.
Another important initiative of the KP Police is to equip its personnel with body mounted cameras with both voice and video recording. The police personnel deployed on pickets and the traffic staff has been directed to switch on the camera each time he proceeds to stop a vehicle for checking or imposing fine.
Since the camera is an unbiased witness, it will provide substantial evidence of the sequence and happenings of the incident which would in turn help the supervisory officers as well as the courts to unearth the truth, establish true facts and make decisions on merit.
Secondly, these cameras would have a deterrent effect on the public as well as the police personnel by holding both of them accountable. These cameras would help in neutralizing the defiant attitudes of the public and criminal orientations of suspects. Further, the dread of being caught red-handed would have a remedial effect on the behavior and demeanor of the traffic staff.
