LAHORE, Dec 31: The city witnessed almost 100 per cent surge in crime against property cases in 2011 as compared to 2010, documents available with Dawn show.

Criminals snatched 22,060 vehicles from people from January 2011 to December 22, 2011 in the provincial capital besides cash and valuables like gold ornaments, say the documents.

On Friday alone, robbers and thieves deprived people of 23 motorcycles and 11 other vehicles, including cars. They also looted cash and other valuables in 77 incidents of crime.

Though police authorities in Lahore would defend the surge in crime by citing Karachi, where street crime and robbery rate remained extremely high compared to other big cities of the country, this year's official figures on crime against property in the Punjab capital showed an unprecedented annual increase.

According to the documents, 24,166 incidents of crime like dacoities, robberies, vehicle snatching, vehicle theft and dacoity/robbery-cum-murder were reported from January to December 22, 2011 compared to 3,172 cases during the same period in Lahore in 2010.

The documents depict a grim picture of 'violent crime', as 111 'unarmed' people were killed when they 'challenged' the armed criminals. The criminals took their lives just for putting up resistance.

The offenders continued to target even the well protected banks and looted cash and other valuables worth Rs29,298,425 in several hits in 2011.

The official figures not only speak volumes about the rising crime against property, but also show a terribly low ratio of crime detection, leaving Lahorites at the mercy of criminals.

Documents show 'interesting figures' about the recovery of money from the outlaws who looted banks. The city police registered 12 cases against criminals involved in bank robberies and recovered only Rs50,000. This figure reflects poor performance of the investigating agencies including the CIA and investigation wing of the city police.

Of the bank robbery cases, six were registered in Sadar Division, two in Cantonment Division and one each in Civil Lines, Iqbal Town, City and Model Town divisions.

Robbers looted cash and other valuables worth Rs6,093,329 from banks located in Cantonment Division, Rs15,852,117 from banks in Sadar Division, Rs3,639,316 from banks in Iqbal Town Division, Rs369,421 from banks in Civil Lines Division, Rs562,877 from banks in City Division and Rs2,781,365 from banks in Model Town Division.

Of these cases, police could trace only three – one each in Cantonment, Sadar and Model Town divisions. Sadar Division police recovered Rs50,000 from the robbers.

Of the total 24,166 registered cases, 7,806 were marked as untraced and 6,533 cases were under investigation.

Police performance in 'kidnap for ransom' cases remained unsatisfactory. Some 50 cases of kidnap for ransom were registered against 159 criminals in 2011. Of these, 12 were registered in City Division, 11 in Sadar Division, 10 in Cantonment Division, seven in Iqbal Town Division and five each in Civil Lines and Model Town divisions.

At least 55 people, mostly school-going children, were kidnapped and police recovered 41 people. The kidnappers killed eight people, while six had yet to be recovered.

Of the 159 criminals, police arrested 84, killed five in encounters and failed to arrest 70 others. Sadar Division investigation police have miserably failed in addressing the grievances of people whose relatives were kidnapped for ransom. Of the 10 kidnapped persons, Sadar Division police could recover only six, while two were killed and two others went missing. Similarly, the police could arrest only seven of the 45 criminals.