Worrying spurt in capital street crime

CCTV cameras, patrolling and deployment of personnel fail to stem tide

ISLAMABAD:

Despite installing a web of surveillance cameras throughout the city, patrolling and deployment of personnel, the federal capital has seen an uptick in incidents of street crimes, theft, robberies, snatching and car-lifting.

The government had spent over Rs13 billion under the Islamabad Safe City Project installing 1800 surveillance cameras throughout the city. Islamabad police have patrolling force including the Eagle Squad and the bike-mounted Falcon Squad, but it did little to curb crimes and robberies.

A total of 24 police stations have failed to curb incidents of street crimes, burglaries, theft and armed robberies.

Since the onset of the new year, a total of 310 incidents of car and motorcycle theft, armed robberies, burglaries and street crimes have been reported.

According to police sources, up to 10 incidents of street crimes and robbers are being reported daily in Islamabad. The sources said that in several cases, police do not even file an FIR and only report them in a daily register.

Police have failed to crack down on organised networks of criminals involved in street crimes, theft, robberies and burglaries in urban and rural areas

On the other hand, along with the police of five sectors, police checkpoints are also set up throughout the district in the name of security checking.

Besides the surveillance cameras, the Eagle Squad also carries out searches of motorcycles and vehicles and pedestrians in the city but it has remained a futile exercise.

The police spokesperson paints a rosy picture of the police performance almost on a daily basis but on the ground, criminals continue to carry out crimes with impunity.

Sources told The Express Tribune that senior police officers of different zones and at the sub-divisional level seldom visit their respective jurisdictions to monitor the performance of the police. The sources said that senior officers often assign responsibility to their drivers and operators to get feedback from the respective area in charge.

The sources said that the Islamabad police chief has issued instructions to zonal officers to improve their performance, however, his orders have been swept under the carpet and the police have badly failed to control street crimes.

The sources said that crime incidents are being reported in the city zone with higher authorities not taking any departmental action against the responsible officers.

The sources said that the highest number of street crimes have been reported in Sadar and rural zones.

A senior police officer told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity that complaints against the non-registration of cases by most police stations were common.

He said that efforts were being made to improve the performance of the police and hold the officers concerned responsible for negligence.

He said that nepotism and favoritism may be an element to some extent in the appointments of subordinate officers. He, however, said that most postings were made keeping in mind the professional performance and efficiency of police officers.

Police sources said that the department seems to lack an effective mechanism and strategy to combat street crime. Others said that the police have not formally registered several street crime cases, only noting them in their daily registers.

The police officer said that the police led by Inspector-General Dr Akbar Nasir Khan are doing their best to control crimes. He said that senior officials have also issued orders to expedite investigations into the cases within the shortest possible time.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2023.