Rawalpindi  -   The gang of armed robbers have launched a looting spree in various parts of city with depriving people with gold, cash, mobile phones, purses and other valuables.

Police have failed in netting the gang of robbers while leaving the citizens on the mercy of criminals.

According to sources, a woman was going to market when three robbers having guns into hand intercepted her in a street at New Abadi, Tahli Mohri on gunpoint. Later on, the dacoits snatched her purse containing cash and mobile phone, two gold bangles and a locket set forcefully and fled on a motorcycle. The incident took place within limits of Police Station Civil Line, sources said.

The victim lady Mrs Sarfraz reported the incident to police. A case was registered against the accused with no arrest or recovery so far, sources said.

Similarly, a gang of three robbers stormed into a house located at DHA-1 Orchard Area, the precinct of PS Morgah, and made off with cash, motorcycle and gold ornaments.

The victim house owner, in a complaint he lodged with police, accused his servant of burgling house. Police registered a case and begun investigation.

In yet another incident that took place in jurisdiction of PS Saddar Bairooni, a gang of four robbers loaded with sophisticated weapons scaled the walls of house of Sardar Babar in and made the entire family members hostage on gunpoint.

The robbers also trashed the house owner over resistance, sources said. Later on, the robbers collected 20 tolas of gold ornaments, cash Rs 530,000 and fled from scene. The victim house owner lodged complaint with PS Saddar Bairooni but the police have refused to register FIR, they said.

Meanwhile, the robbers are also on looting spree in areas of Defence Road and Khuwaja Corporation with no action on part of police.

The citizens appealed Chief Minister Punjab and Inspector General of Police to take action against bosses of Rawalpindi police for not controlling increase of street crime and house robberies. On the other hand, the Sustainable Social Development Organization also expressed its deep concerns over surge in crime rate in Rawalpindi rapidly.

SSDO, in a statement, said as many 473 robberies, 281 kidnappings, 148 murders, three honour killing and 15 child abuse cases were registered in six months in the city. It also urged community policing needed to be launched by government to reduce crime rate and ensure public safety in Punjab.

Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) Director Syed Kausar Abbas, while talking to media, said that police has given a good gesture by sharing information with the public but there is a need to reduce the crime ration in the district by engaging local communities. The community policing can help the government and the police to reduce the crime and also to improve the image of the police in the public.

The ratio of crime increasing rapid in Rawalpindi raised a question on the performance of the Rawalpindi police to provide the security to the citizens’, he said. There is a dire need to build the capacity of police on dealing the public in a decent way and politely to improve its image and trust in the community. The government needs to make a strategy to overhaul the police system and bring new laws to make them accountable to citizens and relevant authorities and as well as to avoid any violence from the police in future.

The District and City Police Officers needs to make local community policing committees to take the support of the public to reduce the criminal activities and as well as to bridge the gap between police and the public at local level. This will help them to reduce the crime and improve the performance of the police. Kausar Abbas further added that the budget allocation for the police stations needs to be improved and the Station House Officer needs to be strengthen by including his views while making the annual budget of the police station and as well as giving him authority to spend the budget of his police station as per need of the station.

A monitoring committee comprises of citizens and the notables of the area should be made to monitor the performance of the local police. The fiscal strengthening and the monitoring mechanism will reduce corruption in the police department, he added.

The duty hours of the police needs to be fixed maximum up to eight to ten hours to make them relax to perform their duties in a better way. The Government needs to make a mechanism on immediate basis to avoid any violence and corruption by the police in future.