Dolphin Force

Dolphin Force is an elite unit of the Punjab Police that focuses on combating street crime.[3][4] It was modeled after the Istanbul Police Dolphin Force[5][6][7] and launched by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, in Lahore in 2016.[8] Since then, it has been expanded to Six other cities in the province,[9][10] with a total of 696 policemen trained in its second phase.[11]

Dolphin Force
ڈولفن فورس
Agency overview
FormedApril, 2016
Preceding agency
  • Mahafiz Force
Employees1800[1]
Legal personalityPunjab Police
Jurisdictional structure
National agencyPK
Operations jurisdictionPK
Size1,772 km²
Population11,126,285 [2]
Governing bodyPunjab Police
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersWalton Road, Lahore
Agency executive
  • Zohaib Nasrullah Ranjha, SP Dolphin Lahore
Parent agencyPunjab Police

In 2016, it was announced that a Dolphin Force would be introduced in other major cities in Punjab, such as Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan. However, the plan was approved in 2017 but has not yet been implemented. A headquarters and an SP would be required in each city.[12]

Organization and structure
Two Dolphin Force officers patrolling the major road of Lahore

The Dolphin Force command center is headed by the Superintendent of Police (SP) and is divided among several cities including Saggian Bridge, Iqbal Town, Harbanspura, Chung, Civil Lines and Model Town, each with 50 motorcycles.

The headquarters of the Dolphin Force is located on Walton Road in Lahore.[13]

The force consists of 1,800 constables, 60 assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs), 15 sub-inspectors (SIs), 4 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), and a superintendent of police (SP), who work in three shifts with 300 motorcycles. The equipment used by the Dolphin Force includes 300 500cc Honda motorcycles, 10 minibuses for field support, 600 helmets, 600 camera-body cams, 200 GPS locators, and 300 wireless radios. Dolphin patrol officials are required to wear a special uniform.

Every motorcycle is manned by two police officers, equipped with a wireless radio, firearm, handcuffs, GPS tracking device, camera, and a special uniform in black with contrasting red and white colors.[14]

A team of 25 police officers, led by an SP, traveled to Turkey on March 1 2015 for a two-month training program. Upon their return, they are to train 1,200 constables and other members of the force who have been selected for Dolphin Force.[15]

Criticism and controversies

Dolphin Force has been criticized for its mismanagement and lack of effectiveness. Despite spending one billion on the project, the force has been called a "white elephant" for the Punjab government..[16] Instead of investing in fundamental police reforms and providing infrastructure and resources to existing organizations, a new force was created.

Several issues have been identified, such as each officer being given only one uniform to wear every day without the opportunity to change. The 50,000 rupee per piece parachute apparel was unsuitable for the warm climate in Lahore and had to be replaced with cotton uniforms, resulting in a significant waste of public funds.

Additionally, the heavy bikes purchased for one million rupees each had no spare parts and as maintenance staff had no experience with such vehicles, minor faults led to the bikes being taken out of service without replacements. Expensive helmets with Bluetooth technology were not fully utilized, as the Bluetooth was never integrated into the central communication network. Furthermore, constables with salaries as low as 22,000 rupees have been found taking bribes and providing safe passage to drug dealers. [17]

Street crime rate in Lahore

Despite spending billions on the project and its high operational cost, the crime rate in Lahore rose in early 2016[18] and continued to increase throughout the year,[19][20] with a 13.37% increase in July 2017.[21]

References
  1. "PC-I of Dolphin patrol force submitted to P&D". 14 February 2015.
  2. "Population of Major Cities Census – 2017 [pdf]" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  3. Hassan, Waseem Riaz, Daniyal (21 September 2015). "Dolphin Force: Punjab government's white elephant?". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 19 January 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. "Dolphin Force launched to tackle street crime". The Nation. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  5. "PC-I of Dolphin patrol force submitted to P&D". 14 February 2015.
  6. "Turkish model: Punjab to have Dolphin Police unit, says CM". 31 May 2014.
  7. Yunus Polis Timleri | Turkish Dolphin Police Teams |. YouTube. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021.
  8. "A Force to reckon with | Shehr | thenews.com.pk". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  9. "Dolphin Force launched in Faisalabad - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  10. Correspondent, The Newspaper's (26 May 2016). "Dolphin Force plan for Bahawalpur". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  11. "Dolphin Force set to expand further: CM - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 22 October 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  12. "Dolphin Force to be extended to four other cities | Pakistan Today".
  13. Team, dude (26 January 2018). "Dolphin Squad of Lahore gets a flashy new headquarters building". dude Pakistan. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  14. "PC-I of Dolphin patrol force submitted to P&D". 14 February 2015.
  15. "PC-I of Dolphin patrol force submitted to P&D". 14 February 2015.
  16. "Dolphin force Punjab Govt's white elephant? : The Dawn". The Dawn. 21 September 2015.
  17. "Is Lahore's Dolphin Force a waste of public funds?: The Express Tribune". The Dawn. 9 July 2016.
  18. "Crime rate on the rise in Lahore? : Dunya TV". Dunya TV. 1 December 2016.
  19. "Lahore spike in crime rate? : The nation". The Dawn. 1 January 2017.
  20. "High crime rate in Sadar division lahore : The tribune". The Tribune. 22 October 2017.
  21. "Crime surged by 13.37% in July, 2017 Lahore : The tribune". The Tribune. 9 July 2017.
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