Pakistanis holding the post of constable in US police

“In Pakistan, the police officer on duty on the road is called a constable, while the highest position in the American police is that of a constable.”

This is what Nabil Shaikh, a Pakistani serving as a constable in the US police, says.

34-year-old Nabeel not only disliked the police department since childhood, but the ‘hateful attitudes towards Muslims’ in America after 9/11 changed his thinking about the police.

Nabeel’s ‘younger sister used to wear a hijab and when she went out of the house to study or go to the market, she was disturbed by the insulting behavior of some local people. Despite the complaint to the police, they were blamed for being Muslim and wearing hijab.

It is for this reason that Nabeel decided to join the police service to play his part in eradicating not only the mindset within the department but also in American society, especially after 9/11, about Islam and Muslims. will

According to Nabeel: ‘He faced the harshest attitudes and challenges in attaining the top position of the police.’

Asked what difficulties he faced to become a police officer in America as a Muslim, Nabil Shaikh said that after 9/11, it became very difficult for Muslims to enter any government department and important position. They also had to face the behavior.

He said that it took many years of hard work to contest for this high position in the police service.

However, his father Captain Nasir Abbasi had a lot of support in his success.

Nabil Shaikh said that when he was working with a big oil company in Texas many years ago, he expressed his desire to run for the position of a top police official to his father, and he said, “Son, this is your dream.” is which is impossible to interpret.’

According to Nibel, then he decided to quit his high-paying job and run for constable and won.

He ran for the election from Houston, the big city of Texas, USA and won the post of constable by defeating his competitors, Americans and candidates of other nationalities.

How important is the position of constable in America and how challenging are its responsibilities?

In response to this question, Nabil Shaikh said, “In the American police department, high military-style positions are assigned, including the position of lieutenant, captain and major.” But the state police have more powers than the army, be it violation of traffic laws or committing any other crime, the police have more powers of arrest and investigation than the army.

“An ordinary police officer or officer can arrest a military officer or officer in handcuffs without fear of committing a crime.”

He further said: ‘Police in the United States play a key role not only in maintaining peace and order, but also in solving social problems and bringing unity between different nationalities.

In the 50 states of the United States, each local police department serves in two parts. One is headed by the county sheriff while the other is headed by a patrol officer and a deputy county constable. After that comes the supervisory ranks which include corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, major, assistant chief, chief of police and then police constable.

According to Nabil Shaikh: ‘Taking over the post of constable is not an achievement but there are new challenges to face every day and as a Muslim, a Pakistani and an Asian, one has to face many difficulties.’

Officers and officials of Native Americans and other nationalities work under him and it is a difficult stage to get them all together.

In America, there is also an accusation of ‘abuse of power’ regarding the police, how much truth is there?

In response to this question, Nabil Shaikh said that ‘170 guidelines have been established in this regard and repeated practice training on them is a continuous rule. However, if a police official is involved in such incidents, he is put through two types of investigation process.

‘One is that there is a strict accountability process within the police department which involves scientific investigations. Second, other law enforcement agencies, including intelligence agencies, conduct investigations. The decision of the concerned officer’s case is completed within one month to one year with evidence and the decision is implemented.

He said that now a large number of young Asians, especially those from Pakistan, are joining the police force. This is giving US residents of different nationalities the opportunity to communicate in their own language and speak more confidently about their cases.

Nabil Shaikh said that he does not belong to any one city but to the whole of Pakistan. His father belongs to Punjab while Nanhyal is from Karachi.

Regarding the training of the Pakistani police, Nabil Shaikh invited the Pakistani Ministry of Interior and the Police Department and said that the departments and police of both countries can enter into an agreement for the exchange of many modern training and technical skills. He is ready to come to Pakistan with his capable team.

He said: ‘If the government of Pakistan increases the contact with the US police department, it will be known what are the needs of the Pakistani police and we can also learn from their expertise. If there will be peace and security in Pakistan, it will also increase tourism and foreign investment.

Nabeel Shaikh is a law graduate and is currently pursuing Masters in Criminal Justice.

According to Nabeel: ‘Policemen in America face an increasing rate of divorce at home due to the stress of their demanding job. Heart diseases, especially heart attacks, are occurring among law enforcement officers and officers. There is an increase in the trend of suicides and it is due to lack of force and working conditions, but now a lot of work is being done on it.

Nabil Shaikh has also received honors and awards from US President Joe Biden and the Vice President.

He says that he has a lot to do for the department and wants to be successful by contesting the post of constable again next year.