‘Sharing digitised data to help curb interprovincial crimes’

May 11, 2018

LAHORE: Punjab Inspector General of Police Captain (retd) Arif Nawaz Khan said on Thursday the efficient use of information technology to cater to the challenges of modern policing was the need of the hour to curb crimes in the society.

He expressed these views while addressing officers after a meeting with Sindh Inspector General of Police AD Khawaja. The Sindh IG termed the agreement on sharing of software related to modern policing a milestone and said Punjab Police has always been a role model due to its reforms for other provinces. Many steps have been taken by Punjab Police which were replicated by other provinces and collection of data on individuals having criminal records was a step in this way.

He said modern inventions in information technology have changed policing culture and Punjab Police adopted IT reforms to upgrade their systems and set a precedent for other police forces. The IG Sindh emphasised that there should be an efficient mechanism at the federal level to promote interprovincial coordination and professional skills. He paid special thanks to the Punjab government and PITB saying the process of technology sharing would continue.

DIG IT Shariq Kamal Siddiqi briefed the officers that in criminal record office (CRO) all documents including pictures, fingerprints and other details of criminals were stored and the process of identification of fingerprints was connected to all the districts and field units. He further said data of one million criminals was available at CRO of Punjab Police. With the mutual sharing, police in both provinces would access documents and record of criminals ease.

During the meeting, both officers have formally launched the agreement of data sharing.

The Punjab IGP reiterated his resolve to completely cooperate with Sindh Police as Punjab Police has done by collaborating in projects like Welfare Eye, Police Station Record Management system, Human Resource Management System, Tenant Registration System and Hotel Eye. “This agreement is the beginning of a long-term partnership and in future, both the provinces would continue collaboration to protect citizens,” he remarked.

IG Sindh AD Khawaja also visited OPS room of CCPO and DIG operations office. During the visit of DIG operations office CCPO Lahore Captain (retd) Muhammad Ameen wains, DIG Security Dr Moin Masood, SSP operations Muntazir Mehdi, Chief Traffic Officer Lahore Rai Ejaz Ahmed, SP Security Amara Athar and SP Model Town Faisal Shehzad were present on the occasion.

SSP Operations Muntazir Mehdi briefed the IG Sindh about the working of his department during his visit to Ops room at DIG operations office while SSP Admin Rana Ayaz Saleem briefed about Ops room of CCPO office. Khawaja lauded the Welfare Eye project of Lahore Police. After this IG Sindh also visited safe city project PCIC3 and acknowledged modern technology based exemplary projects to curb crimes along with efficient traffic management system.

He was of the view that in modern era contemporary policing was impossible without updated information technology and Punjab Police was practically following smart and community policing rules.

(Tribune)

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