LAHORE, Feb 19: The Los Angeles police have promised to provide modern equipment and training to the Punjab police and the Federal Investigation Agency to improve investigation techniques.

The assurance was given by the 14-member delegation of the Los Angeles police that visited Pakistan from Feb 12 to Feb 18 as special guests of President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

Headed by LA police chief Leroy D Baca, the team arrived in Lahore on Feb 12 and stayed here for three days. The FIA had provided them with security and lodging.

During their stay in Lahore, the policemen met the Punjab police chief and discussed the techniques the local police adopted in investigation and crime control. It had also reportedly shown keen interest in the working of the local police in dealing with the criminal cases.

The team left for Islamabad on Feb 15 where it called on the president and briefed him on the details of its tour. It also briefed him on different techniques the LA police had adopted to provide security to their head of the state.

The foreign police team reportedly met the interior secretary, home secretary, Punjab Anti-Narcotics Force chief, Punjab governor and officials of the intelligence agencies.

A senior FIA officer told Dawn that the US personnel would also come in future to train police and FIA officials. The team also met the FIA director-general and director of Lahore and inquired about the measures the agency was taking to control human trafficking.

Two members of the team - Sandra Hutchens and Michael Grossman - belonged to the LA Office of the Homeland Security. The other sheriffs included Edmund Sexton, Joe Oxley and Carol Ming-Tsuey.