Inspector General of Police Punjab Inam Ghani said that eradication of criminal elements and easy provision of justice to the citizens while ensuring uniform implementation of law and order is among the priorities of Punjab Police.
He said that according to modern policing, effective crackdown against criminal elements should be continued with the effective use of modern technology while the citizens coming to the police stations should be treated with courtesy and good manners to alleviate their problems speedily.
He expressed these views while instructing the officers in a meeting held with the officers of Sheikhupura Region regarding the preparation of guidelines / checklist for training of Victim Support Officers. During the meeting, training modules and checklist of Victim Support Officers were discussed in detail.
During the meeting, DPO Kasur Imran Kishwar while giving a briefing said that Kasur Police has prepared a preliminary draft of training modules and check list of Victim Support Officers in which detailed instructions on tackling and dealing with victims of various crimes were given. He further said that the basic duties of a professional victim support officer are to provide sympathetic attitude, counseling and protection to the victims of crime and abuse according to their state of mind so that the victims of the crime can get rid of the immediate trauma of the crime and may provide the necessary background information easily.
He further said that the Victim Support Officers should perform their professional duties responsibly in view of the sensitivity of their duty and provide all possible assistance to the victims after committing the crime by understanding the three major needs including protection of the victim, includes proper encouragement for accurate expression of facts and feelings and briefing on expected situations and needs.
He said that the Victim Support Officers should gain the confidence of the victims and get detailed information for the investigating officer and prosecutor which would be helpful in convicting the culprits while during the conversation Victim Support Officer should pay full attention to the needs of the victims. He further said that various crimes including sexual assault, child victims, victims of domestic violence, senior citizens and victims who escaped from murder are part of the checklist which provides detailed guidance to the Victim Support Officers on the expected situation, requirements, professional matters and communication so that they can perform their duties efficiently and not only help and guide the victims but also provide the necessary evidence and accelerate the process of tracking down and arresting criminals while complying with the above requirements.
Instructing the officers, the IG Punjab said that in order to make the checklist more comprehensive, the situation and needs should be carefully reviewed and the recommendations of other officers should be included to make it better and re-present it in the next meeting.
