Street crimes are the problem of all major cities of the country, and like other big urban centres, the situation in Karachi is also serious.

According to a recent newspaper report, in the first 50 days of this year, 18 people, including a woman, have been killed for resisting robbery in different areas of the city.  And dozens have been injured. The police have to some exten failed to stop the rapidly increasing street crimes in the city. These are only the statistics of murders by robbers, while the number of robberies, which reach hundreds every day, are reported in the police stations.

Due to not being done, they are not recorded. Mobile phones are being snatched from the front of people's houses in populated settlements. Bank withdrawers are also easy targets for robbers. Due to the lack of work on the Safe City Project, the police could not find the videos of most of the incidents. According to the police, most of the arrested accused have been arrested before, but after being released on bail, they become active again. Without merit. Deploying officers is one of the main reasons for not controlling crime.  Some analysts say that  some crime-sponsors join the ranks of policemen and officers. In this month, 56 officers and personnel have been dismissed for the same reason, but after the complete overhauling of the police department, without building the entire system on the basis of transparency and competence, it is not possible to end the increasing crimes in the city.

The newly elected provincial government has to include this matter in his top priorities. This situation is a question mark for security agencies across the country.  What we call looting has been the easier and safer way for the street criminal to decam with the booty. The availability of easy black markets of stolen mobile phones, valuables and jewelery is also a reason to boost the morale of criminals. It is said that when people move to big cities in search of livelihood, the crime rate goes up along with the population pressure. Although street crime exists in many small and big cities of the country in one form or another, but in Karachi, the largest city and commercial center of Pakistan, street crimes have increased so much that people are targeted by criminals despite all precautions. On the average, around one hundred and thirty street crimes are reported every day since the start of the holy month.  Every few minutes, a Karachiite loses valuables including mobile phones and cash. The alarming thing is that the suspects do not even delay in firing during the incident on resistance, due to which the people visiting the markets are scared. 

Over the past years, if not decades, the situation of street crimes in the megapolis is that it is difficult to find every other citizen who has not fallen into the hands of street criminals at least once. From pedestrians to motorcyclists and car riders, everyone is a target for criminals.  According to police,  street crime increased by 7 percent last year, however, the Karachi has the low number of killings on resistance during street crimes as compared to other cities. A police data shows that a hundred citizens lost lives on resistance during street crimes in the city. During the first month of the current year, over seven thousands street crimes were reported and the trend is continued till now. It is not that police do not take action and around nine thousands suspected street criminals were arrested last year while 110 suspects were arrested for extortion and over five thousands car-snatchers were held.

According to another data by Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) report on the soaring number of motorcycle and carjacking cases are a common occurrence in the mega city where stolen vehicles are sold at ease in specified markets where robbers thrive on by taking main share of the booty.   The automobile parts of stolen vehicles are also easily available in the city at low prices and there is no check on the such business. On the other hand, the citizens say that most of the street crimes go unreported and people avoid getting caught by the police. People have to visit the markets for the essential purchases, but most people seem scared.  Police officials say that plainclothes personnel have been deployed at various locations, but the seriousness of the situation requires that CCTV cameras be installed and continuous monitoring through them should also be paid attention to.

Citizens say that most of the street crimes go unreported and people avoid getting caught by the police.  Be it poverty, economic crisis or the unprecedented inflation, Pakistan's most populous city has become a hotbed of street crimes once again. The residents of Karachi, a city with a population of more than three crores, are again at the mercy of robbers these days. Armed robbers roam the city. They rob whomever they want, when they want and where they want, including the elderly and women, and do not hesitate to kill on resistance.  Experts also point to the economic situation and social inequalities as the main reasons for the rising crime rate in the city. During the current holy month, a number of civilians have been injured for resisting during robbery, dacoity and snatching incidents.

Economic depression, social inequalities are also the factors. One would agree with Chairperson of the Department of Psychology, University of Karachi , who says  that poverty and unemployment are major causes of street crime among economic factors.

The main reason why adults, apart from teenagers, are involved in street crime is lack of morals and training.

These problems force the person or persons to commit crime in case of economic hardship. In psychology, the term 'dysfunctional family' is used for such families. In families where parents are unable to fulfill their duties, the environment of the home forces the children to opt for street crimes.  Families who are busy on the economic front for their survival and neglect the education of their children, their children get close to people involved in anti-social activities.

The unprecedented double-digit inflation and unemploymen have been fueling the rate of street crimes. The irony is thta most of the incidents of street crimes now take player in broad day light.

Published in The Daily National Courier, February, 24 2024

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