ISLAMABAD: The new Islamabad Capital Territory Police Communication System (ICTPOLCOM) has been connected with the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), which will not only maintain records of criminals but update them as well, the police said on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the police operationalised the system, which contains data on criminal cases registered daily, records of criminals from the day of their arrest and release, addresses, CNIC details, contact numbers and the departmental history of all police officials and employees, police said, adding the system will help in investigations.

Complete data from police stations starting from Jan 1, has been inserted into the system while further records are being updated, they added.

They said the data of each police station is incorporated on a daily basis, and is accessible to the Islamabad IG, DIG, SSP (operations), zonal SPs, sub-divisional police officers, SHOs and police operators around the clock, through smartphones, laptop computers and personal computers.

The police said anyone attempting to wrongly access the system would be located through the generation of a computerised message.

The IG has reviewed users of the system since its inception in June, and found that only SHOs from the Shalimar, Shams Colony, Industrial Area, Khanna and Nilore police stations used the system.

It was used frequently by zonal SPs, while SDPOs from the Margalla and Sihala circles used the system for two hours each. SDPOs from Golra and Shams colony used the system for an hour each, while the Bhara Kahu SDPO used it for less than an hour.

The IG directed the relevant authorities to train officers who have not been using the system, and to acquaint them with the technology. Police said the IG also said the system would help with effective policing and any reported deficiency in the system would be tackled.

They said police officials concerned had been directed to issue computerised copies of FIRs and maintain them on the system on a daily basis.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2016