Rampant street crime: Rawalpindi top cop issues clarion call

Will review police performance in Rawal, Potohar and Saddar divisions

RAWALPINDI: In what could potentially set off alarm bells for residents of the garrison city, the top police official in Rawalpindi on Saturday expressed serious   concerns over rising number of street crimes in the city and raised questions over the performance of his force ringing alarm bells for the residents of the garrison city.

In this regard a high-level meeting of police officials has been summoned for next week.

In an unusual statement, Regional Police Officer Wisal Fakhar Sultan Raja said he was worried over the rampant  street crimes, especially in Rawal Town.

The RPO has also called in a meeting on January 16 with City Police Officer Israr Ahmed Abbasi, SSP Operations Irfan  Tariq, superintendents of police in Rawal, Potohar, and Saddar divisions, all deputy superintendents of police, and stations house officers.

The RPO further said he would review each and every case which had been registered in the past two months. He added that he would also evaluate the performance of the relevant police stations.

He noted that he would also examine status of the written complaints received in the police stations against street crimes, while calls received on the police helpline would also be checked.

A senior police officer told The Express Tribune owing to the severity of street crimes, the police on Friday evening received eight complaints of robberies in different parts of the city in just two hours.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2017.