Peshawar - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police bosses have started a number of activities to promote the use of IT in the force, particularly in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
During the last two months, the force held its first online Darbars and online orderly rooms, which are meant to listen to the problems of the cops, stated Inspector General of Police Dr Sanaullah Abbasi while speaking to The Nation.
“The recent months also witnessed the merger of around 29000 Khassadar and Levies personnel into the regular police force of the province as part of the KP-FATA merge plan and recently the salaries of almost 70% of those former Khassadars have been shifted online,” Dr Abbasi said. Soon after the implementation of the corona lockdown, the police force started use of drones for surveillance of the markets and to keep a check on the SOPs’ implementation. Some of the recent IT interventions include the Roving Eye (High-Tech Traffic Highways Mobiles), E-Ticketing, E-FIR/E-Roznamcha, Online FIR, E-Driving License, E-Police Card, FM Radio (88.6), Online Training, online lectures/seminars, High-Tech Command and Control Center, Live monitoring through drones and surveillance vehicles, Police Access Service (PAS) and Complaint Redressal System, and Police Assistance Lines (PALs) – Facilitation Centers.
“There are 22 Roving Eyes installed on mobile vans and being used for surveillance on main highways in the province, each Roving Eye has communication systems, navigation system, and drone cameras (360 degrees),” the IG added. He said that even the cops were monitored through such cameras so that they did not get involved in any kind of high-handedness. The Peshawar Police have also launched an android App to receive complaints and facilitate the public in certain other matters. An official said the app gave each complaint or report a unique ID. “We copy the ID from one plasma screen and paste it in the search box of a map in the other. This highlights the area where the complaint or report has originated. It also reveals the contact number of the sender,” he added.
After this step, he said, the control room operators need to mark these complaints to the station house officer of the relevant police station, who directly receives the report.
Also, a mobile App “Raabta” guides the users about traffic situation on various roads in the city as well as the nearby vehicle mechanics and related issues.
In addition, the IGP said, there are fixed as well as moving (drone) cameras installed in various areas of Peshawar, for which a command centre has been set up at Kabuli Police Station. Last year, the police launched a mobile App called “Hotel Watch”, also known as Hotel Eye, for the purpose of surveillance and verification at hotels in Peshawar. The application is a criminal record and counter-check database of criminals including suspects wanted by the police and other law enforcing agencies.