Special teams formed for on-the-job Dolphin Squad training

Sep 15, 2019

LAHORE: Dolphin Squad has devised a special squad for on-the-job training of the patrolling force. Dolphin SP Bilal Zafar established the squad on the orders of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Operations Ashfaq Ahmad Khan.

The squad consists of two teams comprising 12 members. One team will provide training to the officials of three divisions including City, Civil Lines and Cantonment and the other team to Model Town, Saddar and Iqbal Town, said the SP. “The teams will hit the ground next Monday.”

In June this year, Dolphin Squad officials shot and injured a youth after he ignored their signal to stop.

In May, a woman in Nishtar Colony fell prey to a stray bullet fired by Dolphin Squad officials. Last year, a differently-abled person was shot dead in Gulshan-e-Ravi. Police officials said that the suspect was carrying a knife and attacked the team. The same year, a teenage boy was killed during a reported exchange of fire between police and bandits on Band Road.

Since the launch of Dolphin Squad until May this year, at least 40 cases of misuse of authority have been lodged against it by authorities concerned.

The two incidents in May and June drew public ire and locals have questioned the billions spent on creating the squad.

As a result, Punjab Inspector of General Police (IGP) Arif Nawaz Khan and other officials of the top brass discussed the violation of SOPs and the need for refresher courses. The SP said team leaders of Dolphin Squad and Police Response Unit started receiving training. “They replicated this training and refresher courses to all officials of the force in the second phase.”

The on-the-job training schedule was also part of the squad’s objectives to fulfill training needs, he added. “The squad’s refresher courses have produced concrete results.”

The SP shared results of a recent online survey conducted by students of a private university. He outlined that 92% of the respondents gave positive feedback on the presence of the force and a sense of security in the provincial capital. At least 95% of citizens responded that both the Dolphin Force and PRU were behind the elimination of street and other crimes in the city, according to the survey.

Regarding the patrolling pattern of Dolphin Squad and PRU, around 95% of citizens responded favourably in terms of timely response. The survey results showed that 90% of citizens favoured the efficiency of Dolphin and PRU.

In this survey, around 8-10% of people complained about the behaviour of Dolphin Squad officials and found their patrolling ineffective, the SP shared.

Besides the survey, the SP further said that there has been a 50% reduction in complaints against the Dolphin Squad on the Citizen Portal, Police Complaint No 8787, CCPO Office, DIG Office and complaints received directly.

(Tribune)

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