Sindh police chief forms special teams to curb rising street crime in Karachi

Sindh police chief Mushtaq Mahar has formed special teams of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) and directed them to curb the rising street crime in Karachi.

Officials said on Friday the inspector general of police had shown serious concern over the disturbing street crime situation in the city, and directed the Karachi police to take immediate steps to curb the menace. He said that in case of failure, strict action would be against the area incharge.

IGP Mahar directed DIG Nauman Ahmed Siddiqi, chief of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Karachi, to tell the SIU Karachi to adopt immediate measures, form teams and post them at red spots where crime was reported.

Responding to the IGP’s orders in a letter, SIU chief Arif Aziz said, “In pursuance of the worthy IGP Sindh and DIGP CIA Karachi’s directions concerning the recent rise in street crime incidents at some identified spots, following teams of the SIU and the CIA Karachi are hereby deployed at the areas mentioned against their names for the assistance of local police to avert street crime, particularly cash and mobile phone-snatching, and apprehend criminals involved in such incidents.

“The points that were marked as red for street crime cases were five in numbers, which were Stadium Road, Sindhi Muslim Society roundabout and connected roads of District East, Shaheed-e-Millat Expressway, District East, Rashid Minhas Road, District East and Korangi Creek Expressway, District South.”

SIU teams

Nine officials, including an inspector, and two sub inspectors, have been deployed on Stadium Road, another nine officials in Sindhi Muslim Society, 11 officials along Shaheed-e-Millat Road, seven officials on Rashid Minhas Road and 10 officials on the Korangi Creek Expressway.

The letter further reads, DSP Operations SIU and SHO SIU are directed to supervise the teams and submit progress on daily basis for perusal of undersigned. A copy of the letter has been addressed to Karachi’s additional IG for information as well as to the DIGs of East, West and South ranges. The SSPs of East and South have been requested to direct the SHOs of relevant police stations to coordinate and assist the above teams.

Observers say that in the prevailing situation of social and economic problems, as well as the increase in crime, one must want to know the role of the police in our society, where crime and problems keep changing. They wonder if the police force will be able to deal with the societal changes in future.

According to observers, the modern concept of a police force, an organisation whose initial role is for the regulation of discipline, enforcement of law and public order and civil administration, is a century old. This role was advanced by an eminent policeman, who thought the object of the police force was to prevent crime.

Observers believe that the next step is the detection and punishment of the criminal after a crime is committed, besides the protection of human life and property. Then, the absence of crime will alone prove whether the object for which the police are appointed have been attained.

According to the Police Act 1861, the police force in the subcontinent was basically a preventive and detective organisation. But the 20th century has brought with it many social environmental and technological changes, which have given rise to many problems and altered the attitudes and behaviour of human beings all over the world. It has been observed that perhaps there is no more important function in a community than that of the police.

Now the police have a bewildering complexity of offences which would hardly been contemplated before the advent of the social welfare state at the turn of the century. The role of police would therefore no longer appear to be principally that of apprehending criminals and bringing them to trial. With the tremendous increase in crime and social unrest, the police should gain a new visibility.

With the more involved problems of crime, a police officer must now also be intelligent and well-educated and possess qualities such as loyalty, integrity, sincerity, honesty, courage, discipline, confidence, job knowledge and so on.

The police ideas need to be changed to bring it in conformity with the ideas of a fast-changing society, ensuring its respect and support for the service in the discharge of responsibilities. The policeman should serve as a friend and guide to the members of the community. He should move with the times. To carry his role in the society of tomorrow he will need to be even more deeply concerned with the “service functions” to the community.