Crime can only flourish when it is protected by the police and that is why we have so much crime in Pakistan. We have all heard that people avoid reporting any crime committed against them because they don't want the police to harass them. In fact it was only a few days ago when a police party was brutally murdered near Islamabad by a gang of drug dealers. It was a shocking crime but on closer inspection it was found that the police party had raided the drug dealers den in plain clothes and most likely to extract ‘protection money’ from them. It was also found that this area was famous for drug dealers, where more than three generations have been involved in this business and most with the help of the police ‘protection’.
The police are not the only ones to blame. They have to stand guard against terrorists and suicide bombers, while receiving meager pays and no regular budget from the government. The police put their lives at risk and capture the culprits, but then the slow moving judicial system not only delays the conviction but in most cases also frees the culprit on technicalities.
The first step that needs to be taken is to have all the Pakistani people on a data base with their fingerprint identification. We have large loopholes where there are tens of millions who have never been registered. Though Pakistani police force has recently bought the finger print comparing data machine, but it can only work effectively when we have a complete data base. Advancements in technology, crime data collection has become quite easy for the police forces around the world. Using some easy techniques the police can collect fingerprints, DNA, blood samples and even detect blood spills that have been cleaned up. Since Pakistan purchased the fingerprint comparing software, the police force has successfully used the fingerprints collected on record to solve two crimes.
Deoxyribonucleaic acid (DNA) is a molecule that encodes the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of living organisms. New technologies have now made it possible to collect DNA samples from crime scenes but our police force needs to be trained. If these new technologies are introduced in the Law enforcement agencies and laws are introduced that can allow the reports generated by these technologies to be used in the criminal investigations, than it will finally help increase the court proceedings, there will be an increase in the conviction rates, reduce crime and provide justice to all the people of Pakistan.
SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER,
Peshawar, Septemb