DSP Chaudhary Liaqat Ali is part of the law enforcing system of Pakistan. He is a great influencial example for us to follow. He is one of those people who emphasized the interference of technology in solving crimes, protecting property and law enforcement for citizens’ welfare, Indeed, his efforts are remarkable.
When we contacted Chaudhary Liaqat Ali to get the scoop on Usage Of information Technology in Police department. He seemed eager to talk on it.
Through this article DSP Chaudhry Liaqat Ali shared his experience related to IT intervention in Police department and how technology is helping the police to stay ahead of the curve. He says about the technology that how it proved to be a arbitrator in hard times.
“The advent of the Internet and its related technologies has brought about a revolution not only in communications but also how data is collected, stored and shared. Previously, data had to be maintained by hand. It would then make its way into another large hand written book or ledger. Cross referencing was nearly impossible. It required multiple human resources and time. Today, all it takes is a few keystrokes by one person on a computer. While almost all institutions have become more efficient thanks to IT interventions, the police has perhaps been the main beneficiary. “Work that used to take weeks, now takes minutes.”
Supplementary, he thanked to these IT interventions, he continued
” the police force can not only become more efficient, it also creates more accountability as well.”
Chaudhry Liaqat shared his some personal experience he said:
“When I started my career in law enforcement nearly 33 years ago. The world of law enforcement is very different now than it was when I entered it in 1983. In just a relatively few short years, technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, changing the way police officers do just about everything.
When I was first appointed as a Station House Officer (SHO) in Karachi, we didn’t even have computers available to us to use at our stations, much less in our cars. But we have a police radio that could scan multiple channels, officers typically have an in-car Gadgets, through which traffic monitoring, access to data and functionalities are possible.”
When asked a question about the technology growth of law enforcement. He answerd,
“The technological growth is very good and advances in technology have been a mixed blessing for contemporary law enforcement agencies. Take the explosive spread of Internet access over the last several decades,that how it benefits everyone. Everyday technologies like social media and other applications have made it possible for gangs and even terrorist organizations to coordinate like never before, creating an entirely new, digital space that needs policing.”
Moreover, he highlighted the series of initiatives, processes and products that have been developed by PITB, and have been (or are being) implemented by the Punjab Police.
He then told about the Biometric Verification that :
“One of the key initiatives is the biometric citizens’ verification devices.The handheld Biometric Device is being used for mainly three things: validating citizens’ by their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) number and fingerprint; validating Afghans Citizens’ by their Proof of Registration (POR) number and fingerprint; and identifying a suspect as a Habitual Criminal.
The device is hand-held and can be used anywhere in the country. It connects through a SIM and is being used at police checkpoints all over Punjab.
However, the limitation of the device is that it requires the use of both the CNIC and fingerprint of the suspect.”
He told about the Geographical Information System GIS and Crime Mapping which are new technologies ,that have been well used within policing. GIS is a spatial decision support system (SDSS) that focuses on decision making and problem solving processes.
When asked about the problems and issues you are facing right now in term of technology he answered confidently,
“Police are being tasked with an increasingly complicated challenge as the state of technology evolves, but today’s most effective agencies aren’t exactly lacking in technical muscle. The same rapid expansion of technology forcing quick adaptation on the part of police has set the stage for exciting, innovative tech that helps officers serve their communities.”
Lastly, he mentioned some latest technologies, like Flying Police Drones, Predictive-Analytics Software, Handheld Fingerprint Scanners, Google Glasses etc and said that:
‘These technologies are much demanded in the police department. After introducing this technology in the police department they can serve the nation more effectively and efficiently.These can be a helping hand in reducing crimes of the country and maintain law and order.’
