STREET crime is a very serious and yet a very common problem the people of Karachi are condemned to face frequently. After a relative dip in the number of snatching and looting incidents on the streets of the metropolis, the fresh wave of street crimes is as much a problem for the citizens of Karachi as is the third wave of coronavirus.

In spite of so many First Information Reports (FIRs) registered in various districts of Karachi, people continue to suffer from the menace of snatching of mobile phones, motorcycles, cars, cash and even lives.

The complacency of police authorities only makes people doubt the integrity of the whole department. But that does not resolve the problem because even if there is some hand-in-glove arrangement between the criminals and some police officials, the only place where a complaint can be lodged is the police station itself.

If the police cannot handle the law and order situation in Karachi, it should come clean and express its inability in clear unambiguous words so that the government may hand over the assignment of bringing the situation under control to some other law enforcement agency; to Rangers, for instance.

To curb the menace of street crimes, the authorities may consider setting traps for the merciless snatchers and looters. Police officers in civil clothes may be assigned to keep an eye on suspicious activities. Snap checking should also be conducted every now and then at various points in the city.

While all this may bring about a positive change, professional integrity on the part of police department is the first and foremost element in the equation without which any step would mean nothing.

Mohammed Fahad
Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2021