New initiatives planned to fight street crime: Karachi police chief

Additional Inspector General Karachi Amir Ahmed Shaikh has said that to counter the menace of rising street crime he has taken some initiatives, including the revamping of specialised units --the Anti-Car Lifting Cell, Anti-Violent Crime Cell and Crime Investigation Agency.

In an interview with The News, he said that recently he held a meeting with his subordinates and discussed in length the issues they faced while checking street crime and also took suggestions from them to overcome the menace.

He said Karachi is a megalopolis with a population of about 22 million, where the number of vehicles is 4.9 million, 32.4 percent of the cars and 54.5 percent motorcycles. As many as 900 new vehicles come onto the city roads on a daily basis, he added.

According to the data gathered by the police, there are about 16 million registered cellphones in the city. The meeting also discussed the haphazard growth of the city, traffic movement on roads and around markets and restaurants, weak security infrastructure, constraints of resources and threat alerts.

Responding to a query, Additional IG Shaikh said that despite limited resources and issues, they had made some achievements that included the IDEAS 2019, PSL 2019, EXPO 2019, a peaceful Ramazan, traffic management, and dealing with threat alerts. He said all that was just because of police vigilance and successful handling, and thanked the Special Security Unit and the Rapid Response Force in this regard.

Discussing the crime statistics, Shaikh pointed out that during the year 2018 from January 1 to May 31 about 6,226 cellphones were snatched, and in 2019 the figure was 5,994 a slight decrease, while 103 four-wheelers were snatched in 2018 and in 2019 the number stood at 83. However, he said, a five percent increase in four-wheelers’ thefts had been reported, as in 2018 the figure was 483 while in 2019 it was 510.

Moreover, there was a drastic decrease of 34 percent in motorcycle snatchings, as in 2018 the figure was 968 while in 2019 it was 636. However, motorcycle theft cases have increased, from 9,475 in 2018 and to 9,635 to 2019.

The Karachi police chief also shared details of house robberies, saying that in 2018, 170 cases of such nature were reported while in 2019 the number of reported burglaries was 145. There was also a decrease of 10 murders during robberies, as in 2018, 25 people were killed while in 2019 the figure was 15, he added. However, an increase was seen in injuries during robbery resistance, as in 2018 89 people suffered injuries, and in 2019 the number was 97. He added that reviewing the overall data of crime, house robberies decreased to 14 percent, armed robberies fell to 13 percent, murders during robbery came down to 40 percent, cellphone snatchings decreased to 3.73 percent, four-wheeler snatchings dropped to 19 percent and two-wheeler snatchings decreased to 34 percent.

Moreover, during their operations to date, the police have arrested 1,743 criminals , 565 of whom were captured red-handed, 11 killed in encounters and 3,267 weapons of different calibers seized.

However, Shaikh said, still much work was to be done to provide a peaceful environment to the people of Karachi for which some initiatives had been taken, including that a cellphone App and WhatsApp number for complaints, revamping of the Investigation department and the CIA, Installation of new CCTV cameras, registration of private security guards, complaint cell and a department for the welfare of police.

He added that there was a need for media management like perception-based activities, involving decisions about when to release information about a planned or an ongoing operation against outlaws, coordination between the CPLC and media groups.

Street crime or screen crime and social media

Citing some examples, the Karachi police said that a few serious incidents of street crime had occurred in the city this year, like on June 6, 2019, Saqib Iqbal, a Pakistan Army’s serving major was martyred for resisting a mugging bid on MA Jinnah Road in the Aram Bagh police limits; on June 5, another citizen, Sajjad, was shot and injured near Musarat Cinema in Nazimabad No.1 in the Rizvia Society police limits; and on the same day Farhan was shot and injured for putting up resistance to muggers in Gulshan-e-Maymar. Moreover, two persons Nadeem Ahemd and Ehtasham were shot at on June-3 for resisting a robbery bid at a roundabout in Block 15, F.B Area, opposite Karachi Institute of Heath Disease in the Joharabad police remits. Where stolen motorcycles are soldAnswering another question, Karachi’s additional IG said stolen motorcycles are transported to Hub, the interior of Sindh and Punjab as well as to different scrap yards of Karachi.

He shared that motorcycle frames are melted and scrapped, and spare parts are disassembled and sold in the market at very cheaper prices. “Stolen parts are sold as second-hand parts, bluffing consumers. From Hub, some motorcycles are sold in their original form to people living in rural areas/villages. Moreover, parts dismantled from stolen motorcycles are also openly sold in Shershah, Ranchor Line, Garden East markets, etc. These are the spots which have been identified and some major initiatives have been taken, which are too early to be shared with the media.”

Window to return recovered property

Shaikh said that on the recovery side they had also taken into consideration some victims’ accounts that motorcycles were usually not in their original form when they were recovered, and the legal process was very long and troublesome.

He stated that officials demand bribes for the recovery of motorcycles, and if the motorcycle is stolen and transported to different provinces like Balochistan, the recovery gets expensive for the owner.

“They [owners] have to hire a lawyer and go through a very long process of legal formalities. Altogether, the expense shoots up compared to the original cost of the motorcycle. The recovery usually costs around Rs18,000-20,000 per motorcycle. There is no accountability and the attitude of police officials towards the victim is not good. Thus, the victim doesn’t prefer to get his motorcycle recovered due to the difficult process and expense being higher than the actual worth of the motorcycle,” Shaikh said and added that they were planning to ensure the recovered property to the owner through a one-window operation.

Challenges and strategy

Additional IG Shaikh said street crime is the biggest challenge which includes cellphone- and cash-snatching incidents.

The police, he said, had made a strategy to prevent the crime by forming a street watch force, point out the hotspots like ATM outlets, traffic bottlenecks, traffic lights, deserted streets, and entry and exit points. Moreover, blocking IMEI and raids on illegal markets would be part of the strategy.

To reduce the street crime, he said, they had to develop a complete database of criminals and gather information of those arrested red-handed, identify criminals with the help of CCTV footage, hunt gangs in operations with the help of the Intelligence Bureau, make an app to be called “Criminals Most Wanted”, which was almost ready, and make strong cases against repeat offenders and also propose separate courts for the crime.

Motor cycle theft

To prevent the motorcycle thefts, the additional IG said they had already identified the hotspots, would deploy watchers of parked motorcycles (a process called ‘Pehra’), set up pickets at the exit to Hub and other places, and improve the lock system, ensure better CCTV footage, get a tracking device installed in motorbikes and keep a watch on spare parts’ markets. Moreover, the strategy includes the hunting of gangs involved and filing strong cases against repeat offenders.

Revamping of specialised units

Additional IG Shaikh said that there is also a need for revamping some specialised units of the Karachi Police, including the AVCC and the ACLC.

The ACLC

The existing organisational setup of the ACLC is governed by an SSP, with two SPs, seven DSPs and 20 DIOs (district investigation officers). The need for reorganisation of the ACLC includes a crime and focus shift from cars to motorcycles, he said, answering a question. According to Karachi’s top cop, the existing organisational setup is hierarchical and jurisdiction-based, and there is no job description, operation or investigation, no specialisation, no database integration with the Interior of Sindh, no accountability, no customer service after recovery of vehicle and non- existence of key performance indicators (KPIs).

Proposed structure of ACLC

The ACLC (Anti Car Lifting Cell) would be renamed as AVCU (Anti-Vehicle Crime Unit) comprising five specialised sections – a checking and picketing section, an operation Section, an investigation section, a customer service delivery section, a database updating/collection and a police-public advisory section.

Checking and picketing section

This section will be dedicated to checking and picketing on entry/exit points of the city, at the routes used by the carriers of stolen/snatched vehicles, crime hot pockets and points of joint checking with district police officials. This unit will have laptops with an updated record of all stolen/ snatched vehicles, excise data and customs data relating to vehicles.

Operation section

The operation section will consist of a decoy operational branch, a raiding branch and an interrogation branch. The operation branch will be in strong coordination with the district police for its operational activities.

Investigation section

The investigation section will consists of two wheel anti-crime branch sections, a snatching sub-section, a theft sub-section and four wheel Anti-Crime Branch sections, a snatching sub-section, a theft sub-section, a forensic branch and a Mobile data processing and analysis branch.

Customer service delivery section

The customer service delivery section will take complainants’ feedback and liaise with IOs on the progress of cases and will consist of a recovery facilitation window, a media (social, electronic and print) handling branch, an NOC Issuance branch based in Sharifabad, a newsletter and other publication branch and public police advisory.

Database maintenance and collection section

The database maintenance and collection section will consist of a CRO maintenance branch, a snatching and theft at Karachi database maintenance Branch, a snatching/theft at Hyderabad Range South Zone branch, and a snatching/theft at Sukkur Range North Zone branch.

Proposed anti-motorcycle lifting squad

Karachi police chief Shaikh said that they had also decided to establish an Anti-Motorcycle Lifting Squad.

The unit will be headed by the ASP or the DSP, and sub-divided in decoy operation, intelligence-gathering and CRO, field units headed by inspectors.

Functions

The functions will include raids on dumping and disposal places, maintaining and updating the CRO of active criminals, conducting decoy operations, intelligence-gathering through sources and mobile data, keeping vigilance on criminals who are on bail, strengthening the prosecution of cases registered against this head of crime, crime analysis (analysis of patterns, crime pockets, modus operandi etc.), picketing and snap checking.

Strategy and working

The strategy will focus on the maintenance of a comprehensive database of stolen and snatched motorcycles from across the province of Sindh with the help of Madadgar 15 calls and FIRs, conducting decoy operations at the hotspots/crime pockets, maintaining a list of active gangs/criminals and ensuring their arrests, and organizing awareness campaigns with other stakeholders like the CPLC and motorcycle manufacturers among the motorcyclists regarding the safety and security measures to avoid theft.

It will also focus on conducting picketing and snap checking to take action against motorcycles without number plates or with fancy number plates, keeping an eye on the sale of used spare parts of motorcycles by conducting inspections of the shops involved in the sale and purchase of such parts.

Revamping of CIA (AVCC)

Karachi police chief Shaikh said that the AVCC was established in 2003 to investigate cases of Kidnappings for ransom and terrorism. The investigation of any case was assigned to it by the additional IG Karachi Range and the DIG CIA Karachi. In the year 2008, the AVCC Police Station was established to investigate cases of Kidnappings for ransom in Karachi Range.

Moreover, to act as a back-up support in detection of high-profile cases, prevention through detection of heinous crimes and to collect information’s, it conducts raids, makes arrest and recoveries, lodges FIRs, investigations and submits challans in the court of law.

Scope

The ratio of Kidnappings for ransom cases is almost zero, but the recent case of the kidnapping of Bisma was an eye-opener. The latest technology, VOIP, was used. The AVCC does not have technology or knowhow to detect/locate the IP address/MAC address or data SIM numbers. The scope of the AVCC is limited through cases of prevention of street crimes, fake medicines, narcotics in schools, colleges, universities and private coaching centres may be assigned to in addition to KFR cases.

Anti-Street Crime Squad

The addition IG Karachi said that street crime poses a serious challenge, and the prevention of street crime is being carried out by a “Street Watch Force” of the local district police.

The Anti-Street Crime Squad will support the local police by using the methodology of prevention by detection, centralised database of all arrested with complete profiles and pictures and prevention unit, picketing and decoy coordination with the IB.

The district in-charge (IP/SIP) of the Anti Street Crime Squad will send the details of snatched mobile phones (Madadgar 15, local police station and CPLC complaint data) daily to the AVCC through Zonal DSP. The IT team at the AVCC will run IMEI of the snatched mobile phones on a daily basis and plan operations in coordination with the zonal DSP.

The AVCC will run the criminals databases (CRO) and identify any street criminals and take action against them through the newly created Anti-Street Crime Squad.