LAHORE:The Punjab police chief billed 2011 as 'Year of Constables'. In 2012, most of the constables even do not know about the year dedicated to them. Of the six police divisions of the Capital City District Police, only one divisional superintendent of police (SP) held training courses and recreational events for his subordinates.

Other SPs remained indifferent to the capacity building of police officials.

Senior officers are bound to enforce capacity building techniques -training and courses -- under Police Rules of 1934 and Police Order of 2002.

The absence of measures to improve professional skills of foot constables, moharrars, upper subordinates, naib courts and ministerial staff and priorities to improve police working results in lack of motivation among the force, says a police official.

Official statistics available with Dawn show that all reported crime in 2011 increased by 17 per cent in 2011 as compared to 2010 while chalan ratio of all reported crime in 2011 remained around 70 per cent.

Among six police divisions (operation and investigation) of Lahore police, only the Civil Lines division executed 11 professional courses-cum-demonstrations in 2011 while other divisions kept on doing their routine work.

Official record says the operation wing of Civil Lines division held 11 courses in 2011: station clerk (Moharrar) course, Taa'meel staff course, Pairvi officers course, farm 12 constable course, Naib court course, additional SHO course, picketing course, firing course, weapon handling course, anti-vehicle lifting staff course and proclaimed offender arrest course.

In addition, a speech contest and a cricket tournament were also held in the division among the police officials.

Civil Lines SP Operation Muhammad Omer Saeed says now he plans a course for bank security officials for 150 bank managers and firing course for 150 bank guards in a week or so.

An athletics competition is also going on among 11 police stations of the division.

The SP said such professional and recreational events kept the staff motivated and helped improve coordination among senior and junior officials and working environment.

Of 26,330 policemen of Lahore police, 7,000 are attached with the operation wing and 3,600 with the investigation wing for prevention, security and detection duties.

Headquarters SP Athar Waheed told Dawn he held trainings on police working, terrorism and police culture at District Lines round-the-year.

He said other courses like Moharrar course, first responder course (in association with Red Course) and commando course were also being held at the police lines.

He, however, said divisional SPs (both operation and investigation) were not bound to focus on staff's capacity building.

He said training rooms and a gem had been set up at Qilla Gujjar Singh Police lines.

A police official says overburdened policemen engaged in round-the-clock operational duties must know the basics of prevention techniques, and how to deal with suspects. They should be indulged in exercise regimes for their fitness.

Similarly, he said, investigation officers and their raiding force (constables and head-constables) should know about modern investigation techniques.