KARACHI: Sindh police IG Ghulam Hyder Jamali on Saturday asked officers at the helm of the law enforcement agency command and control centre to ensure capturing of footage recorded through the closed-circuit television cameras installed across the city of criminal groups involved in recent attacks on police vehicles.

While visiting the command and control centre, he reviewed available video recordings of the recent attacks on police vehicles in the city and asked officials to beef up efforts to collect more footage of armed and criminal groups to make their identification possible.

Read: Seven TTP men killed in ‘encounter’, policeman in attack

“The Sindh IG also issued directives for a schedule for night patrolling for the protection of life and property of people,” said a statement issued by the central police office after the meeting chaired by IG Jamali.

“The DIGs, SSPs, SPs and DSPs would ensure patrolling by police especially at night in their relevant areas. The Sindh IG said that supervisory officers should ensure the presence of personnel according to police deployment rules and keep them alert during duty hours.”

The meeting was attended by the additional IG of crime branch, DIG of headquarters of Sindh, zonal DIGs of Karachi, DIG of training, DIG of CIA, district SSPs of Karachi, AIG of operations of Sindh and other senior officers.

Also read: Three policemen killed in grenade, gun attacks in city

“The police officers should not just sit in mobiles, but remain vigilant and take all-out steps for the security of citizens and also ensure their own security,” said the statement quoting the Sindh IG as saying at the meeting.

“The IG asked for more effective intelligence system for successful crackdown on criminal groups attacking police. He said DIGs of zones, district SSPs and SDPOs are responsible to ensure the act of briefing regarding duties to relevant police officers and personnel.”

According to the statement, the IG ordered SHOs to take every possible step to ensure their presence and patrolling in their areas. In the meeting, IG Jamali issued instructions and reviewed progress of investigation in cases of policemen killed so far this year.

Meanwhile, a four-member delegation of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Pakistan (INL-P), embassy of the United States, called on IG Jamali on Saturday at his office.

“The delegation was headed by director of INL-P Alberto Rodriguez,” said another CPO statement. “The delegation discussed in detail the expansion of the command and control centre at the CPO for better surveillance and monitoring. The delegation expressed its commitment to assist expansion of the surveillance project.”

The two sides, the statement said, also signed a memorandum of understanding for the installation of 2,000 more cameras in 400 new identified locations in the city. Moreover, it added that the zonal command and control centre would also be established in Karachi and would be linked with the centre at the CPO.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2014