LAHORE: Punjab police on Saturday launched `Friends of Police` and `Volunteers in Police` initiative to strengthen ties with the community.

Punjab Inspector General Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar presided over the inaugural ceremony held at Alhamra Hall organised by the Capital City Police Lahore. A number of students from various educational institutions, teachers, civil society representatives, as well as prominent media personalities and columnists were present.

IGP Dr Anwar conferred badges of honour on the students and citizens who joined the programmes.

He emphasised police transi-tion towards a citizen-centric approach and highlighted that these initiatives would become milestones in achieving community policing goals.

Under the initiatives, young students were being entrusted with the role of ambassadors for Punjab police, aiming to forge a stronger bond between law enforcement and the youth.

Dr Anwar said these ambassadors would be given the opportunity of study tours and visits to special initiative police stations, Khidmat centres, Tahaffuz Marakaz and Meesaq centres.

He said the experiences would enable them to gain a deeper understanding of police operations, public service delivery and the challenges faced by the police in society and they would bridge gaps between the police and the community.

The IGP said there were 735 police stations across the province undergoing transformation into special initiative police stations.

He said in major cities such as Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, and Multan, Punjab police is independently funding the development of modern safecity projects.

He said these projects would expedite the shift away from traditional police station culture by incorporating cutting-edge technology and optimising service delivery to citizens.

Dr Anwar stressed that the elimination of terrorism remained one of the top priorities and there was unwavering commitment to eradicate terrorists, their facilitators and masterminds.

CCPO Bilal Siddique Kamyana, Additional IG Operations Punjab Shahzada Sultan and DIG Operations Lahore Ali Nasir Rizvi also talked about the aims and objectives of the `Friends of Police` and `Volunteers in Police`initiatives.

They said the `Friends of Police` programme is designed as a one-day interaction with Punjab police, providing selected youth with comprehensive insights into police operations, public service delivery procedures, citizen rights and responsibilities, and available public services. These youth will subsequently serve as police ambassadors in society, adorned with special badges.

On the other hand, young vol-unteers chosen for the `Volunteers in Police` programme will undergo a two-week internship with police. This intensive programme will acquaint them with police workings in various capacities, from police offices and stations to protection centres and service centres. Upon successful completion of the programme, these volunteers will receive special certificates.

ASP Sidra, Shahar Bano, Saad Afridi and Salman presented a detail on the interaction and experiences of the first batch of `Friends of Police` and `Volunteers in Police` programmes.

They said the participants visited Safe City, Mozang police stations, Khidmat centres, Tahafuz Markaz, Traffic Headquarters, and Dolphin Headquarters to enhance mutual cooperation and understanding between the police and the public.

The initiative would streamline communication between the police and the youth to improve public awareness and aimed to provide assistance to citizens in distress and facing various challenges, ultimately contributing to the betterment of society.