The Punjab police with the assistance of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) have started installation of police surveillance system in Mianwali, Sialkot, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawal Nagar.
Addressing a video-link conference of RPOs and DPOs at the Central Police Office (CPO) here on Monday, Punjab IGP Arif Nawaz Khan said it is not possible to meet policing challenges of the modern era without employing the latest technology effectively. "So like the PSCA, a modern police surveillance system will be activated for the monitoring of four important districts of Punjab including Mianwali, Sialkot, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawal Nagar so that anti-social elements can be uprooted by further improving the police response time in cases of street crime, traffic management and other incidents," he added.
PSCA Managing Director Ali Amir Malik and Chief Operating Officer Akbar Nasir Khan, DIG D/I Ahsan Younas, DIG Headquarter Khurram Ali, RPOs of Gujranwala, Sargodha and Bahawalpur regions along with the district police officers of all four districts participated in the conference.
The IGP said that CCTV cameras under an integrated system will be installed in crime hit areas and on the routes of Muharram-ul-Haram processions. These cameras will keep the officers and officials in field updated about the Majalis, processions, protests and emergency situations. This surveillance system should be made functional by 1st September 2019, he directed.
The Provincial Police Chief also requested the PSCA managing director and Chief Operating Officer (COO) to cooperate with relevant districts RPOs and DPOs to make this project functional at the earliest. During the meeting, the IGP was told that in four districts CCTV cameras will be installed at 300 different places.
"The police surveillance system will be helpful in improving the monitoring of sensitive areas and highways eventually besides helping the law enforcers in facing major challenges including terrorism and other crimes," remarked the IGP.
He added that like the PSCA Lahore, all the patrolling forces and first respondents in the surveillance system should be kept away from unnecessary work load so that in emergency situation the response time of officers and officials deputed on field duty could be improved.
The IGP reiterated that before the beginning of Muharram-ul-Haram, the surveillance system should be made functional and if there will be a need of additional resources, technical assistance or any other cooperation from the CPO, immediately assistance will be given within their resources.