Street crimes

In order to control increasing street crimes in Rawalpindi, the district police have established a crime hotspot monitoring system, and police officials claim that the new method is giving encouraging results. The police have identified 86 crime-infested locations in the city where street crimes like mugging and hijacking of four- and two-wheelers mostly took place.

The new arrangement is also successfully monitoring other criminal activities as well as protests. At the crime hotspots, high definition night vision CCTV cameras have been installed to record crime scenes, which help in identifying criminals. These cameras are also helpful in ensuring a smooth flow of traffic as traffic rule violators are captured on camera. These cameras are linked to Google Earth that helps in tracking locations of criminal, unlawful and immoral activities. The phone calls to the police helpline is also linked to Google Earth that identifies the location of the callers, and thus helps in discouraging prank calls or calls aimed at misleading the police. The cameras are connected to a control room at the Central Police Office where 24/7 monitoring is carried out.

Officials say the new system has been put in place after the police pickets set up at crime hotspots proved ineffective in curbing crimes. With the installation of night vision cameras and other modern technical equipment, there has been a marked decline in street crimes and traffic violations, the police claim. The system was introduced after the previous provincial government failed to implement a safe city project in the garrison city. The laid-back attitude of the former government can well be judged from the fact that despite repeated requests by the relevant department to equip the police force with modern equipment, it failed to do the needful.

The administration should realise that merely installing monitoring cameras is not enough to curb crimes. There are socio-economic aspects of the issue too like the unbearable price rise, increasing unemployment and slump in business that need to be addressed on a priority basis.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2021.

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