Rawalpindi    -  A sharp increase was witnessed in vehicle lifting, robberies, dacoity, attempted murder, rape of women, gang rape and aerial firing during the year 2020 in the district of Rawalpindi.

However, a slight decrease was seen in murder, kidnapping for ransom and sexual assault against children cases.

The ratio of rounding up proclaimed offenders of A and B category also remained low during the year 2020 in Rawalpindi. 

Despite spike in crime rate, the most satisfactory thing for crime victims was the swift registration of First Information Report (FIR) of crime by the police in all the police stations of district following the orders of City Police Officer (CPO) Muhammad Ahsan Younas. 

Police statistics, obtained by The Nation on Thursday, showed that 234 people lost their lives compared to 244 murder cases in 2019.

In addition, 20 people were killed during armed robberies/dacoities compared to 17 such cases in 2019.

As many as 42 dacoities were reported in different police stations. This number was more than last year 2019 which saw 36 such cases. 

Around 3,700 cars and motorcycles were stolen compared to 2,200 cars and motorcycles pilfered in 2019.

Moreover, 178 vehicles and motorcycles were snatched from citizens by armed dacoits at gunpoint in 2020 compared to 94 motorcycles and other vehicles snatched in 2019.

The year also saw an increase in the robberies as 2,015 cases were reported to police. This was much higher ratio compared to last year that saw 742 such cases.

As many as 88 women/girls were raped in 2020 compared to 81 reported to police during year 2019. Similarly, seven women were gang raped during year 2020 as compared to five such cases lodged with Rawalpindi police last year.

A slight decrease was seen in child abuse cases as police registered 17 such cases as compared to 25 such cases occurred in year 2019. Four cases of kidnapping for ransom were registered by police in the year 2020 as compared to five cases in 2019. As far as aerial firing is concerned, 166 cases were registered in police stations during year 2020 compared to 78 reported in 2019. The performance of police was also poor in netting the POs of A and B category during year 2020 as police could only arrest 510 POs of A category in 2020 compared to 624 in last year. Similarly, cops rounded up 3,091 POs in 2020 while 3,512 were held in 2019. 

CPO Muhammad Ahsan Younas, when contacted for his comments, expressed satisfaction over the police performance.

He said the crime situation remained low because of swift registration of FIRs against criminals, car lifters, murderers, kidnappers, rapists and child abusers. He said he also held open courts to address the miseries of citizens. “Police are fully prepared to combat menace of crime,” he said.

During the year 2020, violent crime surged to record high across the federal capital this year. Spike in crime in heavily guarded Islamabad is a reflection of the performance of police of the federal capital. All station house officers of Islamabad police adopted a novel way of not filing FIRs even for heinous crimes to show decrease in crime rate. The data, issued by Islamabad police, showed less crime rate in capital.

According to data, shared by Islamabad police, some 130 people were murdered during the year 2020 as compared to 101 reported last year. The difference between murder crime ratio was 28.71 per cent.

Only one case of kidnapping for ransom was registered in 2020 as compared to two occurring in 2019.

According to data, a sharp decrease was seen in incidents of dacoities as 11 such cases were reported in 2020 as compared 36 last year. As many as, 218 cases were registered under section 392 of PPC in 2020, a number lesser than last year that saw 288 cases of the same offence.

Fourty five cases were registered under sections 382 of PPC in 21 police stations of Islamabad in 2020 compared 65 in 2019.

In 2020, armed gangs of dacoits snatched 40 motorcycles/cars as compared to 69 in 2019, according to Islamabad police.

A total of 184 incidents of burglaries were reported with police in 2020 as compared to 272 in 2019. 

As many as 328 cases of general theft were reported in 2020 as compared to 411 last year.

The data also showed that a total of 721 vehicles and motorcycles were pilfered from various parts of city as compared to 815 such cases registered last year.

A horrible rise in street crime was also witnessed in Islamabad in last week of December 2020 as armed dacoits shot dead five people and injured another man during dacoity bids.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Muhammad Aamir Zulfiqar Khan handed over keys of 42 recovered vehicles and 57 bikes to their actual owners and renewed commitment to curb crime during 2021 through effective policing measures.

A ceremony was held at Police Line Headquarters to hand over the keys to actual owners who thanked Islamabad police chief and expressed their confidence in policing measures being taken to secure them.

The IGP said that heinous crime declined upto 20 per cent in the federal capital during 2020 as compared to the previous year and efforts are underway to ensure further protection to the lives and properties of citizens through effective policing measures.

The ceremony was also attended by the police officials who succeeded to recover the stolen vehicles and bikes. SP (Industrial Area) Zubair Ahmed Sheikh constituted special teams to curb bike lifting incidents in the area which showed extraordinary performance and recovered 51 bikes stolen from jurisdiction of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.  Likewise, teams of Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) handed over keys of 28 recovered vehicles to their actual owners, City Zone handed over five vehicles, Saddar Zone handed over five vehicles and six bikes, and Rural Zone gave keys of five vehicles to their actual owners.

According to the report of Operation Division of Islamabad police, a total of 1,555 persons were held for their involvement in crime cases of heinous nature including dacoity, snatching, theft and vehicles as well as bikes lifting.

Speaking on the occasion, the IGP said that Islamabad police is making its best possible efforts to curb crime in the city and heinous crime reduced upto 20 per cent in 2020 as compared to 2019. He said that 70 per cent decline was witnessed in dacoity incidents during 2020 as total of 37 such incidents were reported at various police stations in 2019 while only 11 cases were reported in 2020.

Robbery incidents declined upto 26 per cent as 363 robbery incidents were reported in 2019 as compared to 269 in 2020 while burglary and theft cases witnessed decline of 28 per cent as 699 cases were reported in 2019 as compared to 515 such cases in 2020.

A decline of 12 per cent was witnessed in vehicle theft cases as a total of 734 cases were reported in 2020 as compared to 834 in 2019.

During the year 2020, Islamabad police nabbed 1,555 accused for their involvement in heinous nature of crimes including dacoity, robber, snatching, theft and bike as well as vehicle theft incidents. Police also recovered stolen valuables or items worth Rs1,413 million and 469 vehicles as well as 296 bikes from them.

IGP Muhammad Aamir Zulfiqar said that Islamabad police also succeeded to bust 353 gangs and nabbed 905 gangsters involved in crimes of heinous nature.  Islamabad police chief said that steps are being taken to ensure effective policing in the city and joint teams of Counter Terrorism Department and Operation Division would conduct snap checking.

He said that patrolling would be improved in the city and all zonal officials have been directed to check duties of policemen in their respective areas. No laxity would be tolerated and disciplinary action would be taken against those police officials involved in sluggish policing.