‘Street crime down by 30% in Rawalpindi’

Police say increased patrolling helped control incidents of snatching

RAWALPINDI:

Strict monitoring of crime pockets in Rawalpindi has brought down the incidents of street crime by 30 per cent as compared to the last year, police officials have claimed.

During the first two and a half months of the current year, at least 1,783 cases of robbery, mobile snatching, car and motorcycle lifting were registered against 2,009 incidents registered at various police stations of Rawalpindi during the same period of 2020.

According to police statistics, despite a drop in the crime rate, around 20 incidents of street crimes are reported every 24 hours in the sprawling metropolitan city.

As per documents, most of the suspects arrested on charges of street crimes like snatching mobile phones purses and motorbikes are 15 to 35 years of age. Poverty, unemployment or the desire to get rich overnight, and watching too many action-thriller movies are some of the main reasons suspects identify as motivation for crimes.

According to the details obtained from Rawalpindi police, 2,009 street crime cases were registered from January 1 to March 15 last year. These included 900 cases of motorcycle snatching or theft, 835 cases of mobile phones and wallet snatching, 253 incidents of car theft, and 21 armed robberies.

Meanwhile, from January 1 to March 15, 2021, at least 1,783 cases of street crime were registered.

These included 635incidents of motorcycle snatching, 570 cases of mobile phone snatching, 423 cases of robbery, 11 cases of armed robbery and 144 thefts of vehicles.

Police spokesman said that as per comparison of the period under review crime rate has dropped by 30 per cent.

Crime hotspots

The feat was possible largely due to the continuous and strict monitoring of crime pockets, said the spokesman to the department.

Police officials said that the three main highways of Rawalpindi are lifelines of street crime incidents, the most important being Murree Road, the second being Bank Road and the third being the main highway of Scheme III.

Other crime pockets include Sixth Road, Commercial Market Satellite Town, Syedpur Road, Peshawar Road, Raja Bazar, Kachehri Chowk.

All crime pockets are being monitored by tag patrol vehicles and CCTV cameras. Police officials say another reason for the steady decline in crime is the arrests of gangs involved in street crimes.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2021.