RAWALPINDI, Nov 8: The police performance, tarnished by a series of armed robberies and vehicle-lifting incidents, saw a sharp decline during last 10 months as goods worth Rs14,6046,686 were stolen against theft cases worth Rs130,526,639 recorded last year.

The recovery percentage of the stolen items has also fallen from 54 per cent to 30 per cent in the last 10 months. In the last month, the recovery percentage remained 12 per cent against 38 per cent recorded in the corresponding period last year.

Statistics collected from the police indicate that there has been a rapid rise in vehicle-lifting incidents in the district, as 530 cases have been recorded from January 1 to October 31. Whereas, 449 vehicle-lifting incidents had been reported last year. Similarly, in the last month alone, 29 vehicles were stolen, which works out to about one vehicle per day.

A victim of car crime said police and other security agencies or even the district administration were helpless against car-lifters.

The statistics also show a considerable increase in dacoity and armed robberies as 248 incidents, in which cash and valuables were looted, have been reported during last 10 months. Whereas, 237 such cases were reported with the police during the corresponding period last year.

Some cases in which the robbers escaped on bicycles after ransacking houses, particularly in Satellite Town, have shaken the nerves of citizens.

When the DIG Rawalpindi police, Israr Ahmed, was asked about the “new trend” (use of bicycles) in robberies, he said he was looking into it and had directed his subordinates to trace the culprits.

The statistics also indicate an alarming rise in the fatal road accidents which claimed more than 137 lives during last 10 months. In the corresponding period last year, 133 fatal road accidents were reported.

According to police statistics, 159 murder and 251 attempted murder cases were reported in the last 10 months. Whereas, 177 murder and 311 attempted murder cases were reported in the corresponding period last year.

Likewise, 441 cases of burglary and 49 of cattle-theft were reported with the police during last 10 months. In the last month alone, 33 burglaries were reported.

Talking to this reporter, people from different walks of life said police department needed to be re-vamped from top to bottom to bring down crime rate and number of deaths in road accidents.

“Still chosen police officers are being posted at police stations, traffic violations are being committed by drivers, teenagers are driving commercial transport vehicles, but nobody dares to check them,” Mohammad Asif, a college lecturer, said.

Similarly, a house wife, talking to this reporter, said she felt insecured even inside her house, after reading news of house robberies. “Where is our police and City Nazim,” she asked.