RAWALPINDI: Crime rate went up in January as uncertainty among police officers about their posting reportedly prevented them from drawing a comprehensive strategy against criminals.

A senior police official attributed the surge in crime and the absence of a crime combating strategy to the frequent transfer/posting of senior officers. He said hardly a senior officer had settled down when he was transferred.

“If I knew that I shall be having two or three years’ tenure I would have performed well and chalked out a strategy to check crime,” said a senior police officer.

17 people were murdered in Pindi last month compared to 10 in corresponding period of 2018

The police claimed to have busted several gangs and resolved to smash others involved in drug peddling and other crimes such as robberies and vehicle lifting. But the police agreed that more was needed to be done to make the citizens feel safer.

However, a number of major cases such as the killing of a soldier and injuring of police officials at a joint police-army checkpost in Westridge remained a challenge for the police as there has been no headway in the investigation so far.

A review of the reported crime in the district in the first month of 2019 showed that 17 people were murdered compared to 10 the same month last year while 28 people fell victims to attempted murder compared to 27 last year.

Cash and valuables worth millions of rupees were also taken away in 32 robberies, 31 burglaries and 41 theft cases.

The police performance to recover the looted items remained quite unsatisfactory. As many as 75 cars were stolen compared to 52 in Jan 2018. However, no vehicle was snatched at gunpoint so far this year.

At least 64 motorcycles were stolen and 14 others snatched at gunpoint compared to 46 and eight, respectively, in Jan last year.

As many as 11 other vehicles of different makes were either snatched or stolen in Jan 2019.

Moreover, 1,498 crime cases were reported in the first month of this year compared to 1,206 in Jan 2018.

A total of 31 women were abducted and five others raped compared to 36 and four last year.

However, there was a decrease in the number of kidnapping cases as 10 people were kidnapped in Jan this year compared to 26 in Jan 2018.

“Police have been successful in smashing several drug dens operating in the city and also doing well in checking gambling dens,” a senior police official said.

He said uncertainty regarding posting/transfer of senior officers had been a major issue in drawing a comprehensive control strategy against criminals.

A senior citizen said murder and attempted murder cases could be decreased if disputes among people were solved at the police station level or community policing is introduced in society.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2019