Police try to curb crime in Karachi's DHA with new station

It is speculated that DHA Phase VIII’s exclusive station is established to protect only the VIPs

KARACHI:

In a bid to reduce street crimes, Defence Housing Authority's (DHA) Phase VIII has recently been given an exclusive police station called the Sahil police station.

"The primary objective of this police station is to prevent street crimes in the areas," said SHO Syed Irshad Abidi. "We will reduce the crime rate in the area."

Read: Woman shot dead in Karachi's DHA

Hot spot

DHA Phase VIII, famous for Nueplex cinema, Creek Vista Apartments, Do Darya restaurants and the beach strip, has become a solace for much of the population in DHA and Clifton. However, the area is still developing and has comparatively less residential populace. In recent times, it has become one of the prime spots for muggings and sometimes shooting incidents.

As people are often unwilling to file a complaint, the police have no specific figures regarding the incidence of crime in the area. About five to six mugging incidents occur every week, claimed a resident Syed Raied Arshad, who in involved in a community policing programme with the police. "A majority of the cases are not reported but we estimate that there are five to six incidents per week."

Establishing a police station will not prove to be beneficial till police regularly patrol the area, said a resident living on Khayaban-e-Qasim. "DHA and Clifton already have a number of police stations," he said. "Police stations here are understaffed and don't have resources," he claimed. "We hope that Sahil police vans are not whisked away by the VIPs and that they patrol the areas regularly."

A resident, who preferred to stay anonymous, said that his wife and daughter were mugged outside their home on a Sunday afternoon in April. The criminals took away my wife's three rings and gold bangles, he said. The criminals have yet to be caught, he added.

However, other residents such as Arshad are more optimistic about the future of the Sahil police. "Phase VIII is being developed and there is construction going on," he said. "It is a good decision to establish this station."

Police preparation

The prepetrators, mainly on motorcycles, come from areas such as Shireen Jinnah and related places, said a police official. "The most vulnerable areas are the dark streets without any streetlights, so that it becomes difficult to locate the criminals," he added.

"I have ordered the restaurants to install CCTV cameras around them to help monitor crime," said Abidi. Apart from street crimes, the police officials will also be on the lookout for brawls and accidents occurring as a result of drunk driving.

VIP question 

The Sahil police station now has 50 police officers and three brand new vehicles. The officers have started patrolling the areas near the cinema and restaurants. But police officials feel that the station has been established by the authorities to serve the VIPs only.

"The police station was established to cater to residents of the area and provide them with protection," said an officer. However, since VIPs come to watch the movies we have been asked to patrol the cinema, he remarked. There are other neighbourhoods in the city that require more police force and police stations yet we have been posted here, complained another officer.

Lack of funds

Due to funding issues, Sahil police are currently using the premises of Darakshan police station. As he sat in his office on first floor of Darakshan station, Abidi pointed out that the furniture, the table and the couches were all borrowed. "We have no building right now and we have received no funds to operate this," he said. "We have no proper setup right now." In fact, Darakshan police station continues to operate in our jurisdiction, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2015.