Punjab police registered 1,116,035 cases in 2024

LAHORE: In a significant release under the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013, the Punjab police have unveiled a detailed data for 2024, covering criminal case registrations, arrests, and law enforcement staffing figures.

A total of 1,116,035 cases were registered across Punjab in 2024. However, nearly 97,907 of these cases were dismissed during the year. The police made 675,392 arrests, with 235,000 individuals later found to be innocent, and 42,735 were granted bail.

Lahore topped the province in case registrations, with an overwhelming 296,728 cases. Out of the 131,224 arrests made in the city, 88,892 were found innocent.

On the other hand, Murree recorded the lowest number of cases in Punjab, with just 1,137 cases registered. In these cases, 1,098 individuals were arrested, 150 were found innocent, and 47 were released on bail.

Following Lahore, Faisalabad ranked second with 80,747 cases. The police made 51,087 arrests, with 10,535 individuals found innocent and 1,496 granted bail. Multan came in third with 63,234 registered cases, leading to 27,686 arrests. In Multan, 6,065 accused were found innocent, and 1,410 were released on bail.

Sheikhupura placed fourth, with 50,743 cases registered and 28,340 arrests. Out of these, 7,184 were found innocent, and 2,973 were granted bail.

Alongside crime statistics, the police also revealed information about staffing levels across the province. Punjab has 737 police stations, with only 22 operating out of rented buildings.

The province’s total sanctioned posts for grade 7 and 9 constables, security, wireless operators, driver constables, and their equivalents is 130,862. Of these, 127,059 positions are filled, leaving 3,603 vacancies. For head constables, the total sanctioned positions are 20,174, with 19,782 filled, leaving 392 vacant.

The investigative branches are also sizable, with 9,621 officers serving in investigation wings at the province’s police stations.

These include 494 inspectors (484 male, 7 female), 3,778 sub-inspectors (3,663 male, 115 female), and 5,349 assistant sub-inspectors (5,312 male, 37 female). Women make up a minority in these positions, with just 159 female officers out of the total investigative staff.

These figures, which have been made public as part of the ongoing commitment to transparency in law enforcement, provide a detailed snapshot of both the challenges and the human resources available to the Punjab Police.

With a significant number of innocent individuals being found after arrest, and the considerable staffing demands of the province’s police stations, the data underscores the scope of law enforcement activities in Punjab in 2024.