Karachi jumps 22 points since last year on global crime index

KARACHI (Monitoring Desk): Karachi has been ranked at 93 in the latest global crime ranking published by Numbeo.com, improving its standing by five places since January 2020 and 22 places since mid-2019.

According to Numbeo, which compiles figures based on data submitted by residents, the current ranking is based on data up to 36 months old.

The website defines the ‘Crime Index’ as “an estimation of overall level of crime in a given city or a country”.

“We consider crime levels lower than 20 as very low, crime levels between 20 and 40 as being low, crime levels between 40 and 60 as being moderate, crime levels between 60 and 80 as being high and finally crime levels higher than 80 as being very high,” it says.

In January 2020, Karachi’s crime level stood at 55.20 and thus the city was ranked at 88. Currently, the metropolis stands at a “moderate” crime level of 55.15 and has been ranked 93 among a total of 387 cities, signifying an improvement in the law and order situation.

According to a police statement, Sindh Inspector General of Police Syed Kaleem Imam noted that the city stood at number six with a “very high” crime level at one point in 2014.

“The Sindh province and all its large cities, particularly Karachi, have witnessed an overall improvement in law and order and crimes of various types have visibly reduced,” he said.

The Sindh IGP attributed the improvement to better policing and stricter measures taken to combat crime.

He claimed that different kinds of crimes have reduced significantly in the province including murders, targeted killings, kidnapping for ransom, dacoities/robberies, extortion, etc.

Imam said that the police strategy and action against drugs, gutka mafia, gambling, and other dens of social ills are being made result-oriented.

The index has ranked Lahore at 236 with a “low” crime index of 38.25 and Islamabad at 306 with a crime level of 29.44.

The Venezuelan capital of Caracas is ranked the worst, with a “very high” crime level of 84.98 while Abu Dhabi is the safest city in the world with a crime level of just 11.49.

Numbeo.com was launched in April 2009 and the research and available data is the world’s largest database of user-contributed data about cities and countries worldwide. The website also claims that the information it provides is not influenced by any governmental organisation.

The data for each country are based on all entries from all cities in that country.

The website provides information on world living conditions including cost of living, housing indicators, health care, traffic, crime and pollution by taking into consideration the Consumer Price Index, Rent Index and Groceries Index.