Policing Rawalpindi: Crime figures speak for themselves

Official statistics paint rosy picture of fighting crime.

RAWALPINDI: The crime situation in the garrison city remained terrible throughout the year and the same was depicted in the annual crime statistics report revealed by the Rawalpindi police on Tuesday.

In 2014, the police claimed to have arrested 10,155 suspects and busted 151 gangs while seizing stolen articles from their possession. A simple calculation, however, revealed that the total number of arrests was just over 13,900.

The report said 521 suspected criminals of the 151 gangs were arrested and 304 pistols, 34 Kalashnikovs, six revolvers, along with narcotics were seized from their possession. The police also claimed to have impounded 31 cars, 49 motorcycles and seven other vehicles and recovered cash Rs46,826,700 and jewellery from the gang members.

Separately, just over 450 suspects were held in connection with auto theft and 171 cars, 182 motorcycles and 39 other vehicles were recovered from them, the report stated.

The police said that 35 suspected criminals accused of killing people for resisting robberies were arrested. Six people were apprehended in connection with their involvement in sectarian killings while four others were held on charges of spreading extremism. Four men accused of extorting people were also arrested, it added.

The report revealed that the police arrested 30 suspected criminals allegedly involved in 11 cases of kidnapping for ransom.

In the category of robbery and street crimes, 613 suspects were arrested and total Rs33,134,000 were recovered from them. In property related cases, 1,792 suspects were arrested and property worth Rs246,743,423 was recovered from them.

In the report, the police also claimed to have arrested 63 suspects who were wanted in 30 blind-murder cases. In 2,519 cases relating to illegal weapons, 2,539 people were arrested and various explosives and weapons were seized from them.

In the crackdown against drug peddlers, 3,288 suspects were taken into custody and heroin, hashish, opium, liquor was seized from their possession. The police also send 179 drunkards behind bars.

Moreover, over 800 gamblers were held and Rs7,234,983 were recovered from them. The police also claimed to have detained 2,580 proclaimed offenders and 999 absconders in the year.

Contrary to the annual crime statistics report, throughout the year police officials concealed facts when asked saying they ‘want to encourage reporters to dig out crimes by themselves.’

Despite residents’ general complains against rising crime in the city, the police distanced themselves from taking concrete action against criminals and kept focusing on presenting an untrue picture of the spiralling crime rate in the city through the crime diary.

In one such attempt, the officials brushed a rape and murder case of a 23-year-old girl who bled to death after she was allegedly raped at an illegal medical care centre in Rawalpindi in October 2014.

Search operations

Separately, the police carried out 390 search operations throughout the year. A spokesperson of the Rawalpindi police said the police searched 214,207 homes, 903 hotels, 11 hostels, 205 inns and a total 517,103 people were frisked in one year.

The police detained 664 people under section 55 and 109 of the Criminal Procedure Code and confiscated 147 cars and motorcycles during search operations. Just over 200 people were held under the foreigners act in the year, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2014.