Naimat Khan
KARACHI: Incidents of extortion and murders in Karachi have decreased during 2017 when compare the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) data of same period a year earlier.
According to CPLC date available with The Frontier Post as many as 381 people have been killed in Karachi during 2017 whereas 471 people were murdered during twelve months of 2016.
Similarly the acts of extortion have also decreased. According to figures provided by CPLC, as many as 103 incident of extortion were reported in 2016 whereas better law enforcing brought the figure down to 64 in 2017.
The incidents of bank heist have also dropped down from 12 in 2016 to only 8 during year 2017, according to CPLC figures.
The law enforcers have recovered 855 mobile phones, 4,474 two wheelers and 483 four wheelers in 2017 whereas no such recovery has been shown during the year 2016.
Although the incident of four wheelers’ snatching and theft and snatching of two wheelers and theft of mobile decreased, the theft of two wheelers have increased.
According to report, there had been a significant decrease in bomb-blast related terrorist activities, kidnapping for ransom and money extortion cases, which the law enforcers attribute to the ongoing operation in the metropolis since 2013.
Data collected by police from the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) showed an increase in the theft of two-wheelers to 23,190 this year, as compared to 22,535 in 2016 thus registering an increase of 2.91pc. However, snatching of two-wheelers on gunpoint decreased to 2,280 this year as compared to 2,516 in 2016 showing a fall of 9.38pc.
As per the data, a total of 211 four-wheelers were snatched at gunpoint in 2017 as against 230 cars snatched in 2016, registering a decrease of 8.26pc. Moreover, theft of cars depicted a fall of 23.92pc last year. Some 1,183 four-wheelers were stolen as compared to 1,555 cars stolen in 2016.
Barring an increase in mobile phone snatchings and theft of two-wheelers, the city police data demonstrated that the ongoing targeted operation in Karachi had left a significant impact on four major crimes — targeting killings, terrorism (bomb blasts), kidnapping for ransom and extortion.
The city police chief believed that most of the street crimes were carried out during traffic jams between 5pm to 11pm, mostly by people living in adjoining slum areas.
He said police was facing shortage of resources as several areas/spots had been identified for installation of CCTVs recently but the police, so far, could install only two CCTVs one at the Submarine roundabout in Punjab Colony and the other at Tipu Sultan Road that too, with the assistance of the citizens.
Besides, 22 CCTVs had been put in place by Ismailis, Bohras and businessmen as part of their neighborhood watch, hence lowering the crime there.
Mushtaq Mahar said that there was also the manpower scarcity besides the resource shortage.
Recalling security cover to polio workers every month, he said that around 8000 to 9000 security personnel carried out their duties to provide protection to polio workers. Besides, as many as 17 mega events were handled and peacefully guarded by police round the year.
