Multan police fail to contain crime spurt

Patrolling, pickets in city, suburbs prove ineffective

MULTAN:

Ineffective police patrolling and checking has resulted in an unprecedented surge of crimes in Multan with the number of cases crossing 12,000 during the past eight months.

The figure depicts an average of more than 50 crimes registered per day during the ongoing year.

Then complainants filed of reports of having been deprived of billions on rupees by robbers.

According to a police spokesperson, dozens of gangs involved in crimes have been busted and stolen goods worth millions of rupees recovered.

However, official data shows an alarming increase in incidents of robbery and theft despite patrolling and pickets in the limits of 32 police stations in the city and its surroundings.

According to sources, an attempt by the police to save the fuel expenses by curtailing patrolling in the city might have caused the increase in crimes.

During the year, a large number of citizens have been deprived of cash, mobile phones, motorcycles, cars, jewellery and other household items worth millions of rupees in thousands of cases of theft, robbery, snatching and burglary.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2023.