LAHORE: Inspector General of Police (IGP) Inam Ghani has issued directions to launch a pilot project of Citizen-Centric Policing and Monitoring System in Kasur district.

While chairing a meeting here on Monday, the IGP reviewed the scheme and said citizen-centric policing would improve the image of the force. The system would also ensure free registration of crime cases, he said and directed the officers concerned to develop a new mobile phone application for digital monitoring of all stages of cases -- from application receipt to registration of a first information report at the front desks. This way, those responsible for any delay in the processing could be identified.

He further said that efforts should be expedited to make the project fully functional in Kasur at the earliest.

Kasur District Police Officer (DPO) Imran Kishwar briefed the meeting about the pilot project, saying there was increasing reliance on the use of information technology to make police operations more efficient and transparent.

He said the focus of this project was to ensure effective and close monitoring of each case so that crime could be eradicated on modern lines and the performance of officers and staff monitored.

A new feature has been introduced in the monitoring system to get feedback from citizens about the first responder. Any citizen calling on the police helpline would be asked whether he/she was satisfied with the behaviour and cooperation of the first responder. The caller could send his/her feedback by replying with yes or no through a text message.

The DPO said a checklist would also be part of the system to provide all possible legal guidance to citizens during the prosecution, while a monitoring feature was also being added to the system to ensure timely attendance of witnesses in courts.

He said that under the new system, public feedback on police services was made compulsory, so that the force could continue taking steps to improve its performance in light of the public opinion.

Following the briefing, the IGP emphasised that close monitoring should be ensured for the success of this project so that justice delivery to citizens could be further improved.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2021