PUNJAB Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz must be appreciated for launching yet another major initiative having potential to promote good governance and facilitate the general public. She has formally inaugurated mobile police station vans equipped with modern facilities and technology to provide policing services at citizens’ doorsteps. The CM pointed out that the mobile police stations including dedicated ones for women will operate under specialized teams and provide services with dignity and respect.
The project is designed to project policing authority and essential public services into the field, eliminating the need for citizens to visit traditional, often intimidating police stations. It aims to bridge the gap and build trust between law enforcement and the civilian population through visible, transparent and approachable field operations. This is essentially an extension of the formal police stations and like Rescue-15 the service is aimed at promoting the image of the police force in the eyes of the people. The mobile units would deliver 14 key police services, ranging from the registration of first information reports (FIRs) and online e-tagging to tenant registration, employee verification and criminal record checks. Citizens would also be able to report lost documents, such as national identity cards and cheque-books, directly through these units. Additionally, the mobile stations will facilitate the public in obtaining character certificates alongside comprehensive driving license services, including the issuance of learner permits, renewals, duplicate licenses and international driving permits. This all sounds sweet to ears but much depends on the actual working of these police stations, aptitude of the officials deputed on these vans and proper/extensive publicity of the scheduled visits of the PS vans to different areas and institutions. The high-ups ought to see to it that these mobile police stations do not become another source of extortion like police pickets. Otherwise, this image-building initiative might prove counter-productive.
