LAHORE: While making police officers strongly realised that the people usually use police for grabbing land with a mala fide intention, the city police chief warned his force to avoid registration of such cases of land-grabbing to stop its misuse.

“I shall not spare any station house officer or the Investigation In-charge if any land-grabbing case is reported to me from any police station. What do I expect from my force is to only register cases of attempted land-grabbing with a dacoity section to provide relief to genuine victims,” said Capital City Police Officer retired Captain Amin Wains told a crime meeting at his office.

The participants were the City divisional SPs, SDPOs, and 22 SHOs and Investigation In-charges of the city police division.

He said the wireless operators would relay alert messages after every six hours to all field formations to issue warning to SHOs and Investigation In-charges to avoid illegal actions of land-grabbing.

He said the SHOs must foil land-grabbing attempts within an hour on emergency calls, adding police only could help someone retrieving its land from grabbers in the presence revenue department officials or court bailiffs.

The CCPO questioned the SHOs and In-charge Investigations for not controlling crime and arresting proclaimed offenders. “Do you expect me to sit at police stations to monitor your performance and if you will dare not to deliver results even in my presence.”

“Each SHO will have to inform me about four good actions to facilitate complainants a day,” said Mr Wains.

Meanwhile, a handout quoting Mr Wains as having said each SHO and In-charge Investigation would be equally responsible for crime and law and order situation at police stations while Moharrar would be equally responsible for complaints of misbehavior with complainants and citizens.

Focusing on the implementation of the beat system at the police station level, he said each beat in-charge should be empowered on the pattern of the SHO and also held responsible for crime.

The CCPO said that SHOs should ensure their presence at police stations and refrain from unnecessary patrolling and picketing.

He said action would be taken against the SHO and in-charge investigation in case of grabbing of property of any citizen.

He said the SHO should improve the intelligence gathering system at the police station which would help control crime.

He directed the SSP Administration to place complaint boxes outside police stations and offices of SDPOs so that citizens could give information without disclosing their identity.

He said that such complaints should be immediately investigated and prompt action should be taken.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2014