Kathmandu, August 23
Inspector General of Police Dan Bahadur Karki has said Nepal Police maintains an “institutional memory” of criminal incidents and that offenders involved in such cases can be brought to justice at any time.
Karki said the police organisation has continued to arrest and prosecute suspects involved in crimes even decades after the incidents occurred.
“Individuals’ memories fade over a short period, but the police is an institution that continues to fight for justice. The institution does not forget such incidents,” he said.
Karki, however, acknowledged that police have not achieved the desired level of success in all such cases.
He said the police have continued studying old cases and conducting investigations to identify and bring those involved to the legal process.
According to Karki, special teams have been formed to investigate several high-profile old cases, with investigators achieving significant progress in some of them.
He said the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) is also continuing investigations into old and serious crimes.
“We are investigating new and old cases simultaneously,” he said.
Police adapting to changing security challenges
Karki said rapid changes in society, technology and criminal methods were creating new security challenges and that traditional investigation methods alone were no longer sufficient.
The Nepal Police has introduced performance indicators to evaluate police personnel and improve their effectiveness, he said.
“We have recently developed performance indicators to make police personnel more accountable and motivated. The system is predictable, and personnel are evaluated based on their work, giving them an opportunity to improve,” Karki said.
He said the police service was also being made more technology-friendly so that citizens would not always have to physically visit police offices.
“We have developed systems that allow people to submit applications and complaints from their homes and easily follow up on them,” he said.
Focus on technology and financial crimes
Karki said technology-related and financial crimes have been increasing and that the police need to recruit and mobilise personnel with the skills required to investigate such offences.
He said Nepal Police was coordinating with police organisations in other countries, as well as specialised and advanced investigative units through Interpol, to tackle the global networks involved in crime.
“Nepal Police is adopting modern policing standards and coordinating with members of specialised police organisations in other countries,” he said.
Karki expressed confidence that the police organisation would be able to prevent criminal activities carried out through the misuse of technology.
He also described Nepal Police as the state organisation that remains closest to ordinary citizens and called for public cooperation to maintain peace and public order and protect people and property.
“We always expect the cooperation of citizens to successfully fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to the police,” he said, urging the public to provide information about individuals involved in criminal activities.
