October 12, 2006

The incidence of snatchings and thefts at gunpoint, of cars, motorcycles, cell phones, purses, cash and other personal belongings, in markets, bazaars, parks and roadsides, collectively referred to as street crimes, has been growing at a frenetic rate over the past few years. Everyday, on an average nearly 100 cases involving such crimes are reported, much larger and now growing numbers remain unreported owing to increasing skepticism amongst victims over police ability to ever recover their property, or in rare cases, even if it is somehow recovered, chances of its being returned to them remain very slim. Perhaps the only exception are vehicles, these too, whenever recovered and ultimately returned, are usually stripped of costly parts and accessories.

In view of numerous highly tragic consequences, resulting from victims offering some form of resistance to the perpetrators, ending up in their death or serious injury, people now as a general rule, promptly readily hand over all their possessions, when confronted with such a situation. A single episode now usually takes just a few minutes; hence the perpetrators can commit several such acts daily, netting a handsome bounty. According to rough estimates, each incident produces about Rs8,000 to 10,000 at an average, so even if the perpetrators dispose off the looted items at a quarter of their value, they still end up making several thousand rupees.

Some sociologists are convinced that rapid proliferation of street crime is directly related to corresponding deterioration of socio-economic conditions, particularly in major urban centres. They maintain that acute frustration amongst youth resulting from not being able to find a job, in spite of prolonged and all out efforts, this, coupled with family and peer pressure to do more to seek a livelihood leads many of them to turn, in sheer desperation towards street crime as a last resort. Once they experience the relative ease with which an operation can be conducted, that also with minimal risk and high rewards, concomitant with the thrill and excitement it provides they feel they have finally found their true calling. Their success and high financial solvency acts as a magnet drawing many friends towards this profession.

The provincial administration disagrees with this premise and holds that only criminally motivated persons have now also diversified into street crime. The city police chief, who only recently returned to mainstream police duties, seems to have concluded in a strategic plan for crime control devised and presented by him, that street criminals are mainly drawn from existing criminals, vagabonds, urchins, anti socials and economic migrants from other provinces.

His strategic plan encompassed several actions, notably monitoring and accountability of SHO’s and TPO’s performances, improved intelligence gathering, diversion of police manpower from non essential duties and identifying/neutralizing any policemen involved with such criminals. However, it appears that most of the plan contents have already been implemented, on paper at least. The prime minister and the Sindh chief minister have both expressed grave concern over the mushroom growth of street crime, particularly in Karachi. It is thus understandable that a flurry of activity will be shown by relevant departments, but for how long it will be sustained is the moot point.

The CPLC is required to maintain comprehensive hi-tech computerised records of all reported crime cases, criminals and convicted persons. This type of electronic data, expanded and tabulated under a variety of relevant sub heads should serve not only as primary source material for monitoring, evaluation and highlighting police performance, but also prove valuable as an investigative tool.

What are the real issues fuelling the burgeoning of street crimes? Obviously there is no single clear-cut answer and probably all three viewpoints hold some merit, thus indicating that perhaps a three pronged strategy is needed to address this problem.

The redoubtable Mr. Rudi Guliani, former Mayor of New York, successfully dealt with an interesting parallel of a somewhat similar problem some years ago, which contended that of the many persons who at times indulge in the pettiest of offences such as vandalism, damaging or defacing public property, petty shoplifting, etc. some will ultimately go on to commit bigger crimes. They develop a false sense of security as the overworked police generally avoided pursing petty crimes.

He inducted the policy of “zero tolerance”, and the police thereafter were instructed to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators of even the pettiest crimes. With proactive support of the Police Chief, this strategy soon gave positive results as the graph of street crime declined rapidly. Ultimately, this had a snowballing effect on serious crime figures, as fewer petty criminals were inclined towards it, fearful of the consequences.

Subsequently Rudi Guliani was invited by the London Metropolitan Police to advise them on implementing his strategy there, which according to reports, has already started paying dividends. Maybe we should follow suit.

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