KARACHI: Amid growing incidents of street crime that has brought the Karachi police under severe criticism both from Karachiites and the political parties, in what appears to be a desperate attempt, the law enforcement agency has decided to withdraw personnel deputed to protect police officers and their families to meet the severe shortage of policemen at police stations, officials and sources said on Friday.

The move came from the top when newly-appointed city police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon asked the officers of all ranks enjoying armed escorts at the expense of the state to surrender the personnel.

In most cases the personnel deployed for the so-called security of officers and their families were simply running errands as domestic servants.

“All zonal DIGs [deputy inspector general] have been asked through a communiqué to release the police personnel deputed for their and their subordinate officers’ security so that they could perform regular duties at police stations,” said a source, adding: “The communiqué clearly mentions that escort guards, gunmen, office guards and house guards will perform regular duties. It says the relieved personnel will also avail two-day off in a week.”

Decision aims to meet shortage of policemen amid rise in street crime

The sources said the decision was a “little late, but a welcome sign” from the police hierarchy amid severe shortage of workforce on the ground.

The Karachi police, he added, enjoyed sanctioned strength of 60,000 personnel but currently it had available force of only 41,000 leaving a huge shortfall of 19,000.

“It’s a common practice that the policemen provided for the security of the officers and their families carry out every sort of work at home,” said another official. “They serve as a chauffeur, a cook, gardener and a domestic help. You will find them everywhere at the cost of police budget and public security.”

He said: “There was a senior officer of the Sindh police who rose to become the chief of a federal institution. He was widely known for his honesty, but the police guards provided to him for security were later found working in his fields as peasants / labourers in his hometown. It’s a common practice and everyone exploits this facility.”

On the other hand, the menace of street crime has become a serious issue as over a dozen people have recently been killed by armed robbers for putting up resistance.

KCCI calls for curbing street crime

With a serious question hanging over the performance of police and the Sindh government, the situation has compelled the business community to seek immediate solution “before it’s too late”.

“It becomes a challenge for the public and the members of the business community to safely take away cash after drawing from bank as street criminals are roaming around fearlessly in streets of Karachi and they do not hesitate in shooting innocent people on the slightest of resistance,” Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Muhammad Idrees said in a statement.

Referring to the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee data, he said a total of 186 vehicles and 4,486 motorbikes were either snatched or stolen whereas 2,199 cell phones were snatched and 34 people were murdered in February alone.

Karachi suffers terribly from street crime and is in need of coordinated efforts, said the KCCI president.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2022