Year in review: Twin cities witness surge in crimes

Police blame lack of resources, manpower for failure to curb crime

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD:

For the people living in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, 2022 was just as difficult as 2021, as a significant increase in street crimes was witnessed in both cities despite tall claims of curbing the rate of crime by the police high-ups.

According to the record book of the federal police, more than 10,500 cases were registered in 2022 in which citizens lost goods and cash worth Rs4 billion in armed robbery, theft, street crime and other incidents.

Further, 3,166 motorcycles and 644 luxury cars were stolen from the district as the CCTV cameras installed under the Safe City Project and the so-called strict security arrangements proved effective.

At least six capital police officials lost their lives in the line of duty while a total of 164 people were killed during the outgoing year.

Similarly, Rawalpindi recorded a 154% increase in street crimes last year. However, the police removed the top crime of mobile snatching from the crime data sheet to show its ‘improved efficiency’.

The crime data for the year 2022 obtained from police sources showed a huge increase in street crime incidents in the garrison city.

According to the crime data of Rawalpindi police, 532 vehicles were stolen in Rawalpindi last year as compared to 503 incidents of vehicle theft in 2021. There was a 23% increase in motorcycle thefts and a 40% increase in carjacking incidents last year.

Meanwhile, sources said according to police records, in Islamabad, FIRs of 10,695 criminal incidents were reportedly registered until December, 25 but the actual number was even higher because instead of registering the cases in the respective police stations only reports were filed in the daily diaries in about 1,000 incidents.

In 38 cases of armed robbery, theft and 5,600 incidents of mobile phones, citizens were deprived of gold ornaments, cash and other valuable articles. According to the sources, most of the incidents took place in rural and I-9 zones of the federal capital.

On June 29, 2022, notorious car thief and dacoit gang leader, Bilal Sabit, was killed in a police encounter along with his accomplice, but despite this, the incidents did not decrease whereas, Samba, another dangerous gangster, was also killed in a police encounter.

Sabit was wanted in more than 100 cases of burglary and armed house robbery incidents. Three IGs were also changed during the previous year, but the situation remained the same.

Police officials say that every effort is made to protect the life and property of the citizens, but the lack of resources and manpower is a big problem.

At present, the total strength of Islamabad police is 13,000, while 1,667 recruitments are being made. The number of CCTV cameras is also being increased from 1,900 to 2,500 to make security effective.

The spokesperson of the federal police did not give any position when contacted by The Express Tribune.