Technology

New digital criminal database improves police access, monitoring

By Javed Khan

A police officer in Peshawar in December uses technology to verify a local resident's documents. The KP Police have started the computerisation of criminals' data to help investigate cases in the future. [Javed Khan]

A police officer in Peshawar in December uses technology to verify a local resident's documents. The KP Police have started the computerisation of criminals' data to help investigate cases in the future. [Javed Khan]

PESHAWAR -- The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police have begun to computerise all criminal records of those involved in serious crimes and terrorism in a bid to keep track of them even after their release from prison.

The digitalised collection of data includes criminals' fingerprints, Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs), cellular phone numbers, criminal charges, photos and other details that can help the police.

"The police force had already computerised the data of 990 criminals in Peshawar by the end of 2018," Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Qazi Jamil ur Rehman told Pakistan Forward.

Criminals whose data are in the database include both those now in prison and those already released, he said.

"The data will help enable the police to keep a constant check on these elements even once they are released and are in contact with their [criminal] rings," he said.

Easy access to data

Specialists on the force have entered the data of the criminals on an app that will be available to officers, including on their cellular phones, KP Police spokesman Waqar Ahmad told Pakistan Forward.

"In case of any incident or investigation, the local police will be able to easily check the data and past records of these criminals whose data have been computerised," said Ahmad.

Other districts have digitalised the data of criminals and terrorists in areas under their own jurisdiction, according to Ahmad.

More data will be added to the application software in January, making it easy for the investigators to track down details of any hardened criminal or terrorist, said Ahmad.

The KP Police has also intensified efforts to register all the tenants in the province to prevent the sheltering of terrorists and criminals.

Improving technology

"The computerisation of criminals' data will prove quite helpful in discouraging continued engagement with their gangs and will help them avoid being dragged into terrorism and crime again," Qaisar Khan, a senior Peshawar-based reporter covering crime and terrorism, told Pakistan Forward.

"It's helpful to have a consolidated database of those involved in any wrongdoing, including their fingerprints and other details, for the future," said Khan.

The KP Police have improved their technology over the past few years, which will help them in conducting investigations and in preventing crime and terrorism, according to Khan.

"The tenant information services have already played an important role in identifying suspects living in rented houses in Peshawar and other districts, and the computerisation will further help the police force," he added.

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Sindh Police is itself a thief, please do something about it, specially the Mari Jalbani Police

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Appreciable efforts..

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