Seven-year crime data shows staggering rise in number of registered cases

ISLAMABAD: Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh and Punjab Dr. Syed Kaleem Imam unveiled a gripping analysis of crime data spanning seven years at the National Police Bureau. In collaboration with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), the initiative brought together experts, leaders and law enforcement in their endeavour to forge a safer society.

In his analysis, covering the last seven years (2016-2022), he observed a significant upward trend in the number of cases registered in the country. Starting from 433,476 cases in 2016, there was a slight decrease in 2017 to 411,666 cases before the numbers began to climb steadily. The total reached 431,420 in 2018, jumped to 467,869 in 2019, and continued to grow to 559,034 in 2020.

The trend persisted with 682,696 cases in 2021 and reached a peak of 1,013,036 in 2022. This pattern indicates a substantial overall growth in registered cases, with the maximum number recorded in the most recent year. Despite the possibility of further investigations and analysis, the consistent increase was generally attributed to the open registration of cases at a few places, social media pressure, citizen awareness, court cognizance, and whistle-blowing by civil society members.

In 2022, Pakistan witnessed a staggering total of 1,013,036 (over a million) registered cases of different crimes across the nation. The highest number of cases, 717,142, were reported in Punjab, followed by 111,062 in Sindh, 12,315 in Balochistan, 20,050 in Islamabad, 2,370 by Railways Police, 8,578 in AJ&K, 139,327 in KP and 2,192 in GB.

The discussed data referred to a reported case. Nonetheless, if the system was efficient, it would have boosted public confidence, and paired with proactive law enforcement and an absence of political influence, the number of registered cases could rise well above 3 million.

In “crime against a person,” Punjab recorded 70,947 cases, Sindh 17,837 cases, Balochistan 2,806 cases, Islamabad 1,500 cases, Railways Police 33 cases, AJ&K 1,606 cases, KP 14,827 cases, and Gilgit-Baltistan 570 cases.

While under “Crime against property”, in Punjab 280,476 cases; Sindh 40,624 cases; Balochistan 1,609 cases; Islamabad 10,615 cases; Railways police 616 cases; AJ&K 946 cases; KP 6,374 cases and Gilgit-Baltistan only 521 cases were registered.

Murders climbed to a staggering 10,034, while Zina/Gang Rape reached 8,413 cases. kidnapping/abduction stood at 15,221, dacoity/robbery at 25,025, and theft/snatching/burglary escalated to a mind-boggling 316,756 cases.

However, amid the shadows, a glimmer of hope emerges, as certain crimes witnessed a downturn. Attempted suicide dropped by 9.91%, highway robbers by 27%, bank robbery by 50%, and fatal and non-fatal accidents exhibited reductions of 10.70% and 9.58%, respectively. Police were complimented for their bravery in combating terrorism. A recent repository of driving licenses, body-worn cameras, streaming of police services and record-keeping of criminal data were touted as pragmatic measures.

The participants emphasized reforming police stations, and that elevating the basic units is imperative. The utilization of meagre resources for flagship initiatives and political theatrics must give way to a focus on enhancing the capacity and professionalism of the police force.

Upholding court orders, granting operational autonomy, and ensuring tenure is bound to bolster the efficacy of law enforcement.

It was reiterated that the optimal usage of technology, modern data management, the introduction of a digital evidence system, and allocation of resources for machinery and specialization in staff recruitment are key to fortifying the crime-fighting arsenal. It was time to implement Supreme Court Police Reform Committee recommendations, Dr Imam added.

Setting forth on a journey towards enhancement of police professionalism, the “Police Awaam Saath Saath” initiative, passionately championed by Imran Khan, Country Director of USIP, heralded a new era of data-driven policing. Crime data analysis emerges as a potent weapon, capable of dismantling criminal networks and shielding communities through predictive policing.

With uncompromising candour, Dr Imam attributed the surge in crime to an intricate web of factors - population growth, urbanization, political instability, socio-economic factors, leadership crisis, and flaws within the criminal justice system. “This is a compelling call to action; we can no longer stand idly by in the face of these perils,” he added.