LAHORE: The police launched an android mobile phone application on Friday to empower local body representatives and improve public security.
The app, Local Eye, seeks to turn local body representatives into citizen police and involve them in checking crime, curbing unlawful activities and other violations.
The app’s launch ceremony was held at Alhamra, The Mall. Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Amin Wains, Salman Sufi, Lord Mayor Mubashir Javed, MNA Pervaiz Malik, Begum Zakia Shahnawaz and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Admin Rana Ayyaz Saleem were present on the occasion.
SSP Saleem told Dawn that the main objective of the app was implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) with the assistance of local body representatives. He said Lahore Municipal Corporation’s representatives, including all union council chairmen and councillors, will be given access to the app after registration. There are 600 chairmen and vice chairmen, and 3,100 councillors of the Municipal Corporation. It is a private app and will not be available at the Google Play Store or traced on Google.
The app includes five features: Contact, Complaint, Musalihat Anjuman (Arbitration Council), Information, and Tenant Registration. Police will also establish two control rooms -- at the CCPO office and Punjab Integrated Command and Control Center -- to monitor developments on the app.
The ‘Contact’ option has been introduced to access any police officer from station house officer to CCPO to set up a meeting or provide information. The central portal will deliver a message to the officer concerned after receiving a request. The app will also inform the representative about availability of the officer.
The feature ‘Complaint’ has been integrated with the Crime Management System of Front Desks established at every police station. A local body representative can register a complaint and the senior superintendent of police (admin) will monitor it for action.
The ‘Musalihat Anjuman (Arbitration Council)’ aims at resolving compoundable/non-cognisable disputes, including monetary. This is an alternate dispute resolution system through negotiations between the complainant and accused. The Local Government Act 2013 also empowered its elected representatives to resolve disputes.
The ‘Information’ option lets an elected representative inform police about any crime in his respective area. The complainant would be given an option to click on the nature of crime from a list on the app. Police would reach the spot after the nature of crime has been identified as the app is provided with GPS. The crimes include hate speech, misuse of loudspeakers, drug dealing, brothel houses and others.
‘Tenants Registration’ is an important aspect of NAP. The app allows registration of tenants through filling of a form. No one would have to visit a police station for the purpose.
While answering queries that local body representatives could victimise their rivals by using this app, the SSP said that they would investigate every complaint and information provided by a user. He also said that police would also hold a monthly review meeting with the lord mayor and report misconduct of the representatives, adding that they would also unregister a representative who provided wrong information.
The CCPO said it was a step towards community policing and protection with mutual cooperation. He said local body representatives from the mayor to councillor would be given access to the app to report any unlawful activity to police.
(Daily Dawn)
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