Consul-General of the United States, Brian Heath and officials of the US State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) on Tuesday handed over six police trucks, 1,000 bullet-proof jackets and helmets to the Sindh police.
"This is the first instalment of the total 12 vehicles being given to Sindh police for female officers," the US Consul-General told newsmen at a ceremony held here on Monday at Central Police Office. "These vehicles, valued at $126,000, will improve mobility and safety of officers," he added. He said that INL has also installed $1.6 million Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS) at the forensic division of Sindh police. The IBIS provides ballistic identification support and enhances forensic investigative capabilities of the province.
Since 2011, the INL, under its police assistance programme, has provided $32 million to the Sindh police for armoured personnel carriers, pick-up trucks, forensic equipments, bullet-proof jackets, helmets, thermal imaging devices, and global satellite positioning system. In addition, the INL also assisted Sindh police in devising curriculum for specialised skills such as investigations, human rights, officers' safety, and forensics. Moreover, the INL also assisted three women police stations in Karachi by supplying them communication equipments, personal protective gear, first aid kits, coaster buses, vans, and pick-up trucks.
Speaking on the occasion, Inspector-General of Police, Sindh, Ghulam Qadir Jamali, said that new training regime developed jointly by Sindh police and the INL will help the provincial police force in enhancing its professionalism and investigative skills and, as such, these initiatives will, ultimately, lead to improving the law and order across the province.