Editorial:
Police Accountability Begins with Respect for Citizens’ Complaints
A police force earns public confidence not merely through its performance against crime, but through the manner in which it responds to the complaints and concerns of ordinary citizens. In this context, the recent directives issued by Deputy Inspector General of Police Quetta, Imran Shoukat, regarding complaints of theft, snatching and other street crimes carry particular importance.
The instruction that complaints involving cognizable offences must be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law is fundamental to an effective criminal justice system. Where the law requires registration of a First Information Report, simply making an entry in the daily diary cannot substitute for the legal process. Timely registration of an FIR provides the formal basis for investigation and gives complainants a clear legal avenue for pursuing their grievances.
The DIG Quetta’s warning that deliberate negligence or failure to register FIRs may lead to departmental action also highlights an important principle: accountability within law-enforcement institutions must begin at the level where citizens first seek assistance. If a person approaches a police station after becoming a victim of theft, snatching or another cognizable offence, the response of the police can significantly influence that citizen’s perception of the entire justice system.
For this reason, the direction to Divisional SPs and SDPOs to personally monitor such cases is equally significant. Effective supervision is essential for ensuring that instructions issued at the senior level translate into actual practice at police stations. Monitoring can help identify delays, ensure that investigations proceed according to law and provide an additional layer of accountability where complaints remain unresolved.
Street crime presents a particular challenge for urban communities. Incidents of theft, snatching and similar offences can affect not only the immediate victims but also the wider sense of security among residents. People need to know that their complaints will be heard, documented and investigated without unnecessary delay. A responsive police system can therefore play an important role in strengthening public confidence and encouraging citizens to report crimes rather than remaining silent.
At the same time, accountability should operate in both directions. Police officers must perform their statutory duties fairly and professionally, while citizens should be encouraged to use established legal and complaint mechanisms. The availability of the Quetta Police website and concerned police offices for lodging complaints provides channels through which unresolved issues can be brought to the attention of higher authorities.
The statement that “the doors of police are always open for the public” should ideally be reflected in everyday institutional practice. Accessibility is meaningful when a citizen can approach the police, receive a lawful response and obtain information about the progress of a complaint.
The challenge now is implementation. Directives, however clear, achieve their purpose only when they are consistently followed at every level. Senior officers must continue to monitor compliance, while police stations should maintain proper records, register cognizable offences where legally required and ensure that complainants are treated with dignity.
Public trust is built gradually, through thousands of individual interactions between citizens and public institutions. Every FIR registered according to law, every complaint properly investigated and every citizen given a lawful response contributes to that trust.
The latest instructions from the DIG Quetta therefore provide an opportunity to reinforce a simple but essential principle of policing: citizens who approach the police with genuine complaints deserve a lawful, timely and accountable response.