Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday directed provincial police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon to complete the Sindh Smart Surveillance System (S-4) project by installing CCTV cameras at toll plazas.
Officials said the CM said during a meeting that with the political will of the government and the hard work of the police and Rangers, street crime has come down from 254 per day in January 2024 to 170 in April 2024.
“When we took over the Sindh government in the last week of February 2024, there were 152 cases of street crime per day and now we have controlled them to 170 per day, but we are not satisfied with the crime rate and controlling it further,” he said.
The statement issued from the CM House said IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon called on the CM and briefed him about the overall law and order in the province, particularly the street crime in Karachi.
The IGP said that in January the street crime rate per day was 254, in February 252, in March 245 and in April it came down to 170. At this, the CM said that it was considerable that the street crime had come down, but it must be controlled further.
To a question, IGP Memon told the CM that the police had conducted a complete survey under which 3,000 scraper dealers were working in the city, of whom 354 had been identified as dealers of stolen scrap. He disclosed that 32 teams were constituted to keep an eye on them and were doing a good job.
The CM was told that the police have registered 77 FIRs, arrested several scrap dealers, and recovered engines and other stolen vehicle materials, and steel grills removed from the main roads. Shah directed the IGP not to tolerate vehicle theft or lifting and to go hard against the culprits dealing with stolen material.
The CM also directed police chief to start a similar action against shopkeepers dealing in stolen mobile phones. “I want you [IGP} to start a crackdown against the shopkeepers purchasing and selling stolen mobile phones or their spare parts,” he said. At this, the IGP told the CM that such action was in progress and its details would be shared with him within a week.
The chief minister told the police chief that he had already released Rs1.4 billion for the Security-4 project under which CCTV cameras were to be installed at all the toll plazas of the city and other exit and entry points.
At this, IGP Memon said that out of 48 toll plazas 40 have been equipped with CCTV cameras and connected with the main Command and Control Center at the CPO. The CM was told that 90 per cent of CCTV camera installation work had been completed and the remaining would be completed within the next one and half months.
The CM said he would inaugurate the S-4 project by the end of June; therefore, it must be completed accordingly. The chief minister directed the IGP to intensify the ongoing operation against the dacoits in the Kutcha area. He said that the abduction of a child Mohammad Hussain Arain from Pano Aqil was unacceptable. “How the dacoits dare to barge into the houses and kidnap the child,” he questioned and directed the IGP to get the child recovered and keep in constant touch with the family.