Islamabad Police have been using private vehicles to patrol during nights in an effort to curb the increasing incidence of crime.
Recently two private vehicles were added by the Islamabad Police to their fleet of cars. One car has been deployed in sector G-8 and the other in sector G-9.
The strategy of using private vehicles was extended to these sectors after its success in sectors F-11, G-11 and G-12, where the numbers of car thefts was on a record high a few months back, according to police.
However, while it serves as a deterrent to carjackers and thieves, police officials in private cars also puts people in a difficult situation.
They do not know whether to stop or not, out of fear of impersonators.
“It was difficult for me to stop my car when they signalled me to stop at 3 am. I only saw that it was a police official when he disembarked from the car and came close to me,” said Ishaq Ameer, a resident of sector G-8/1, who returns home late from office.
Ameer said the behaviour of the police officials patrolling the link roads and streets of sector G-8 was not rude or impolite.
It was the fear of who they might be that worried him.
“I was in two minds whether to stop or move on. How could I be certain of their identity as police officials,” he said.
This fear of impersonators is not completely unfounded. The city police have arrested many suspects in the past few months on charges of snatching cash and valuables from people while wearing police uniforms.
Moreover, the police officials have to bear the burden of the ‘private patrol’ from their own pockets. “Every night we spend over Rs300 on fuel for the car,” said a police official.
“We are trying to get funds approved for these police officials,” said Superintendent of Police (Saddar) Dr Khurrum Rashid.
“The initiative has produced excellent results and we have captured a number of carjackers. There has been a decline in the crime frequency,” he added.
Rashid said the police officials had been directed to display their identity cards on their chests to make it easier for motorists to identify them.
However lack of resources impedes the strategy from being as effective as it could be. A police official said, “Given ample resources the strategy can go on for a long time. Otherwise it will become a burden on the police officials involved.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 24th, 2010.
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