Police to introduce software for quick redress of complaints

LAHORE: The Punjab Police have decided to introduce a new software “15-Pucar (police unified communication and response)” integrated with Punjab Safe Cities Authorities’ project for quick solution to the complaints received on emergency helpline 15 across the province.

The IG directed the PSCA MD to activate the software till March 15. Every call received on 15 from any district or city will be recorded and monitored through this system and the progress of registered complaints will be assessed through a centralised system which will be directly monitored by the IG himself. It was decided during a video-link police conference attended by the high-ranking officers of Punjab Police.

The meeting was told that well-equipped district complaint offices headed by officers of SP rank had been established in all districts across Punjab to address complaints of the citizens. The complaint offices will directly worked under the supervision of RPOs, CPOs and DPOs. All kinds of complaints particularly against police officers and officials could be entertained in the offices. The complaint offices will also ensure solution to complaints directly received from Prime Minister Service Delivery Unit, Citizen’s Portal, CM Complaint Office and 8787.

The conference also reviewed the steps to improve the standard of investigations and it was decided that all investigation officers would be provided with the latest investigation equipment.

The conference decided that a short course would be conducted to enable the investigation officers to play their role in criminal justice system and reduce the burden on courts. Besides this, district assessment committees will examine the acquittal cases for capacity building of investigation officers and supervisors.

Inspector General of Police, Punjab, Amjad Javaid Saleemi issued orders to all field officers for timely solution to the all complaints. It was also decided in the meeting strict departmental inquiries would be initiated against the officers responsible for not addressing the complaints.

All the field officers were directed to ensure the presence of SHOs for two hours in their police stations. The SHOs will be present in their offices to address the public complaints from 4pm to 6pm in summer from March 15. A strict disciplinary action will be taken against the SHOs found absent during the two hours.

It was decided that action would be taken under the internal accountability system against those who delayed the registration of 321 cases during the last six weeks across the province. Trainee diplomats: A delegation of under-training diplomats from 15 friendly states at Foreign Service Academy, Islamabad, paid an academic visit to Punjab Safe Cities Authority. The 25-member delegation included young diplomats from countries such as Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Tajikistan, Maldives, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Guatemala, Iraq, Liberia, Nepal, Papa New Guinea, Samoa, Sri Lanka and Sudan.

PSCA Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Muhammad Kamran Khan received the guests and briefed them on the project. They were shown application of technologies about facial recognition, number plate recognition, traffic management and e-challaning. The diplomats praised the project and termed it an achievement by Punjab and said it had left behind many international security outfits. The PSCA CAO apprised the delegation that the project was unique in a sense that it had employed largest number of youths so far than any comparable project anywhere in the world. “We also have moderately capable Media Monitoring Centre which also keeps an eye on Pakistani cyberspace and records and reports trends and sentiments,” he added.