LAHORE: The non-arrest of proclaimed offenders owing to decades-old general traditional police tasking and failure to achieve required targets, the capital city police managers have come up with a new idea of creating a dedicated unit of 100 officers to arrest high-profile criminals from across the country.

After realising strongly that the suspects, who are habitual offenders and potential risks for society, cannot be arrested by using general police tasks either at the police station level or at sub-divisional or divisional level, police authorities have constituted a unit branded as Sharp Cops who will be extended financial, logistical and technical support to nab desperate criminals from any part of the country.

According to Lahore police statistics, there are 350 proclaimed offenders wanted in six crime categories who have never been apprehended and have become a symbol of terror and are usually considered institutions in themselves.

Police sources privy to the project told Dawn on Tuesday that the importance of the unit was felt after police officers believed that officials from police stations and belonging to operations, investigation and the Crimes Investigation Agency were unable to meet required targets because of capacity issues, increased duty hours and engagement in day to day working.

They said the officers ranking from assistant sub-inspector to inspector had been selected from two wings on a 50-50 ratio who had sound experience of crime fighting, strong network of informers and were considered hard task masters.

Sources said Sharp Cops members, who would select head-constables and constables for raiding teams, would get assistance from all intelligence agencies and the data of Criminals Record Office. They would be able to conduct raids with the help of Elite Police commandos and Quick Response Force, they added.

The unit would arrest 100 POs in first phase in crime categories of dacoity with murder, special cases in terrorism, kidnapping for ransom, anti-state activities and extortion and law and order violators.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Rana Ayyaz Saleem confirmed the creation of Sharp Cops, saying the unit would get required resources to gather intelligence about POs and arrest them from anywhere.

He said 50 per cent team members who had been selected from the operations wing would not perform additional duties during general policing.

Ayyaz said as it was general perception that the criminals had more resources than police, city police authorities decided to raise a dedicated police team with maximum resources to arrest desperadoes.

The SSP said the capital city police chief had given a go ahead to initiate targeted operations.

Published in Dawn February 11th , 2015

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