Innovative policing

IN post-colonial societies, police are averse to innovation. Conversely, militants opt for innovation and cultivate their following, using cyberspace, AI and information warfare innovatively. Is innovative policing (IP) viable under outdated laws, weak capacity, poor accountability and ill-equipped LEAs? Post-colonial police chiefs limit innovation to technology when it should be interpreted elastically.

Often, militants get ahead of LEAs; they use drones, night vision goggles, thermal imaging, cyberspace, etc. IP merges tech-driven, community-oriented, problem-oriented and e-policing. Combining traditional police values with modern, evidence-based policing to analyse crime patterns improves public safety and wins community trust, reducing the burden on courts and jails. Policing that doesn’t factor in local needs can be a waste of resources.

For IP to succeed, police chiefs and political executives must combine numerical models with technology-led ones rather than rely just on the former. Solutions like drones help LEAs in surveillance; mobile apps improve communication with the public. Deradicalisation and reintegration need collaboration among mental health counsellors, HR advocates and social workers. IP should benefit the public to win its trust and employ new ideas and a community-based approach to law enforcement. A proactive, preventive and participatory mode can help police transition from a force to a service model and boost democratic governance via technology, institutional reforms and enhanced community involvement.

Policing today faces fake news and militants’ misuse of technology. It can improve through transparency, training, independent oversight, investigation and witness cooperation. Police can work with LGs, schools and social services to address violent tendencies, reduce crime, strengthen public trust and enhance fairness in policing.

IP should benefit the public.

Limited finances, few tech-skilled staff and internet disruptions limit innovation. Outdated laws and systems don’t support digital evidence; absent or weak privacy and data protection also hinder innovation. Traditional societies resist change, fearing police may misuse innovation for control and invasion of privacy. A lack of long-term policy vision and reform, together with regular political changes, hinders innovation. Poor outreach limits it too. Corruption undermines transparency. Tech without institutional reform leads to failure.

IP enhances public safety through GPS-enabled patrols and emergency apps, improves monitoring of public places and helps reduce street crime. It boosts trust and police-community ties via engagement, decreases fear and improves service delivery through online FIR and complaint registration. Tech use enables police to improve crime investigation, reducing reliance on coercive means. Helplines and apps for children, women and trans persons improve safety. Technology reduces face-to-face interaction.

Despite security challenges, KP Police have launched innovative public-friendly initiatives. The Nadra-integrated Police Sahulat Markaz Global App offers many services: IGP complaints access, online complaints for FIR, police character certificates, Talash-i-Gumshda, servant verification, Pink Button for women and children, trans persons’ complaint portal (Police Dost), SOS Alert and Police Sahulat counters at hospitals for medico-legal certificates.

Japan’s Koban policing includes neighbourhood police stations in communities; police here work with residents and local ins­titutions, boosting public trust and crime prevention. Singapore has developed tech-led ‘sm­art policing’, combining facial recognition, AI-enabled CCTV and smart patrol vehicles, reducing the need for human resources and enhan-cing response times. In the UK, neighbourhood policing teams work with local councils, NGOs and residents to tackle youth issues, an approach that has led to effective local solutions.

Estonia has paperless e-policing and citizen services, including online crime reporting. Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit addresses violence as a public health issue, fostering collaboration among police and health and education departments. Bodycams during public interaction in some countries have led to increased transparency and reduced misconduct and false allegations. Gender-sensitive policing in Canada and the Nordic states focuses on victims’ unique needs.

Without changes to laws and procedures, transparency in public complaints and training aligned with contemporary challenges, IP cannot become a reality, and technology will fail to win public trust. As described above, the Koban system operates effectively and should be modified for use in Pakistan’s rural areas.

The writer is a security analyst and author of Pakistan: In Between Extremism and Peace.

X: @alibabakhel

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2026