KARACHI: While around 100 policemen have been killed in gun attacks only this year so far, the standard operating procedure (SOP) devised by the authorities for police patrol have failed to inspire low-rank officials who are often seen defying it, it emerged on Sunday.

The measures recommended by the authorities included patrol in groups of four, avoid deployment of a single policeman in any area and wear bullet-proof jackets with helmets, officials said.

Sources said the attacks on the police, mainly in Karachi, witnessed an unprecedented surge in a year and set alarm bells ringing in the security administration, as the authorities more than six months ago in a ‘loud and clear’ message conveyed the security measures to all the zones and units of the Karachi police.

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“It was I think in November 2013 when the central police office (CPO) issued directives to all zonal DIGs and heads of different city police units,” said an official. “It carried the SOP for patrolling, after a trend was witnessed that the policemen on patrol were being targeted. The measures included patrolling in groups of at least four, avoiding deployment of a single policeman anywhere and wearing bullet-proof jackets with helmets. But unfortunately none of them is being followed in true spirit,” the official observed.

Referring to the issue of resources, he said that not only the measures for which material and resources such as wearing bullet-proof jackets and helmets were required were being violated but also the other measures were not being followed.

“For instance, policemen have been directed to patrol the areas on two motorbikes in groups of at least four armed personnel. But it’s hardly followed in any of the three zones. Policemen who are supposed to ride pillion are often seen standing on roads. They also become vulnerable to attacks. We have registered the killing of some five policemen, who were attacked while roaming on bike and intercepting riders for snap checking,” said another official.

Even the dozen of police stations marked as ‘sensitive’ where a single police van was not allowed to patrol the streets and roads hardly cared about the directives, he said. Most of these police stations were located in zone west of the police organisational structure, he added.

Last year over 150 policemen had been killed in Karachi, with 2013 being the deadliest year in decades for the law-enforcement agencies, while the city police lost some 100 personnel during the past seven months this year.

The authorities and critics agree that the level of threat faced by the Rangers and police has grown multiple times, making policing in Karachi more challenging than in other major cities of the country. The analysis echoes in recent renewed arrangements by the police authorities for the safety of policemen, which help them devise a security strategy.

“The threat in a sense is very general,” said additional IG Ghulam Qadir Thebo. “But we have identified some police stations very sensitive where banned militant groups usually target our men. So we have advised policemen working at these police stations to take extra measures while patrolling and take every possible security step while being on roads and streets.”

The police chief identified a few of these police stations as Site-A, Site-B, Ittehad Town, Mominabad, PIB Colony, New Town, Sohrab Goth and Shah Latif. The personnel in these areas, he said, had also been equipped with maximum available resources which included bullet-proof jackets and helmets.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2014