LAHORE, Sept 21: The Sargodha police have launched an ‘SMS Complaint Redressal System’ to help the public send information or complaints regarding crime and criminal to the police.

Sargodha District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Haider Ashraf says the project will save time and money of the complainants.

He said a software was developed to provide soft solutions to the problems. The system set up at DPO’s office and run by an assistant sub-inspector (shift in charge) and three police constables, has received 50 complaints in the last two days.

Dr Ashraf says the software does not allow the staff to tamper with the text messages.

Earlier, a mechanism was evolved to receive public complaints through emails and on the website of Sargodha Police i.e. www.sargodhapolice.gov.pk.

Later, it emerged that there were just five to 10 per cent people in the district having access to the Internet. Since SMS has grown so commonplace and convenient to the public, police developed the software titled ‘SMS Complaint Redressal System’ to help the public to approach them to register their complaints/information through an SMS on the designated number -- 0307 729 2929.

Dr Ashraf says as soon as it receives an SMS, the software responds to the sender with an automatically generated SMS. The auto-generated SMS carries the identity card of the SMS received from the complainant/informer to be used as ready reference of the sender.

Henceforth, the communication between the system and the complainant is made with the ID reference. The sender can use another cell number to communicate with the system just by writing his ID number before his text message.

On receipt of an SMS, the operator forwards it to the officer concerned with the directions to reply the text within a particular time. The complainant is also informed about the expected time of response. As soon as the time limit ends, the system produces a “Popup Window” to inform the staff about the delay. The system staff sends the case history to the DPO.

Dr Ashraf says the system can receive SMSs from any network being used in Pakistan and abroad. The system will display the SMS received immediately with the options to proceed further.

The system is multilingual and can easily receive and forward complaints or Information in Urdu and English languages.

The system can compile reports in order to have a look on the efficiency of the officials dealing with complaints making the process of accountability easier.

Dr Ashraf says the major goals of the project are to provide the general public speedy remedial measures, changing culture, common man’s software, accurate and easier accountability.