Karachi sees 50% drop in Street crimes in first three months of 2024

KARACHI: Karachi Police Chief Javed Alam Odho on Friday claimed that street crimes in the city, which have killed 100 people so far, have reduced by 50 percent in the first quarter of 2024.

“The police is prioritizing the elimination of street crimes,” said Odho, who took over as Karachi’s top cop in July this year.

Last week, he launched combing operations, increased patrolling and other measures to control crime in the city. Speaking on a private news channel program, Odho stressed the need for a modern command and control centre to effectively deal with crime.

“In the first phase of the Safe City project, 25% cameras will be installed,” he said while updating the long-pending project, which aims to enhance the city’s surveillance and crime-fighting capabilities.

Last month, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also provided an update on the project, calling it an important step towards making Karachi safer. Shah mentioned that the first phase has been accelerated, which has crossed several milestones. Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon added that 1,300 cameras will be installed at various locations, of which 50 poles are already in place. A control room, data centre equipment, and a video wall have been set up at the Central Police Office (CPO), which currently receives live feeds from 35 cameras.

Odho also revealed that a major criminal gang has been busted from the Sita Superhighway area, and suspects involved in recent high-profile robberies have been detained thanks to improvements in police investigative methods.

He expressed grief over the death of a police officer who was killed while bravely fighting the robbers and said the fallen officer would be nominated for a civil award.

On the rise in terrorism, Odho asserted that counter-terrorism support is essential to counterterrorism, noting that the approach required to combat terrorism is different from other crimes.

Street crime remains a significant problem in Karachi, with over 50,000 incidents reported by the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) between January and August this year. These statistics reflect only reported cases, and many cases may go unreported.

An average of 208 cases are reported daily, with mobile phone, car and motorcycle theft being the most common. Apart from the loss of valuables, around 100 people have been killed by street criminals and around 500 others have been injured in firing by robbers.