March 05, 2008	Wednesday	Safar 26, 1429

KARACHI, March 4: The Citizen-Police Liaison Committee has proposed establishment of CPLCs at regional and district levels across the province to help law enforcers combat crime with community help.

Well-placed sources told Dawn on Tuesday evening that a proposal to this effect was recently submitted to Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad by CPLC chief Sharfuddin Memon.

They said deliberations on the proposal were under way at the governor’s secretariat and a notification for the establishment of regional and district CPLCs would be issued soon.

The sources said the CPLC chief proposed the establishment of CPLCs in view of an alarming increase in kidnappings for ransom in the interior of the province.

According to the proposal, the regional and district CPLCs are to be established at two tiers and they will have their offices on the premises of regional/ district police officer’s offfices. Both regional and district CPLC will function under a central reporting cell (CRC) housed at the governor’s secretariat.

A CPLC official said the aims of the CPLCs were to create confidence, remove misunderstanding and narrow the credibility gap between the police and the public.

He said the establishment of such committees across the province was essential to help collect and analyze data relating to all aspects of law enforcement to help law enforcers beat crime through community participation.

The CPLC official said the functions of a regional and district CPLC were to satisfy itself that FIRs were duly registered and no FIR or complaint was refused and the investigation was being conducted to the satisfaction of all concerned.

He said the additional responsibilities of the regional and district CPLCs included computerized recording, expeditious information and assistance pertaining to carjackings, robberies, kidnappings, accidents and other such matters requiring police assistance.