LAHORE: The crime against property has witnessed an upward trend in the first three months of 2014 in Punjab as compared to the corresponding period last year, while falling ratios of prevention and detection of such crimes are also a cause of serious concern.

The crime figures also falsify the Punjab government’s claims of improvement in law and order in the province.

Critics are of the view that the provincial police have failed to control law and order despite receiving enhanced annual budgets, supplementary grants, and special funds. On the other hand, police authorities claim they get only seven percent budget for development purposes as the rest of the allocation is used for payment of the officials’ salaries and pensions, fuel and other non-development expenditures each year.

Official statistics say that as many as 25,698 cases of crime against property have been reported in the province in the first three months of current year against 24,029 such case reported in the corresponding period of 2013, showing seven percent increase.

Robberies top the crime chart with 5,348 cases reported so far in 2014, followed by motor vehicle theft with 4,934 cases, burglary 3,943 cases, cattle theft 1,848 cases, motor vehicle snatching 1,714 cases and dacoity 658 cases.

In the provincial capital, crime against property cases topped the list in four crime categories in 2013. Out of total 71,182 reported cases in Lahore, 24,349 were of crime against property, followed by 21,383 miscellaneous, 18,958 pertaining to violations of local and special laws and 6,492 cases fell in crime against person category.

While field police officers most of the time complain of low conviction rates and courts granting bails to suspects arrested in crimes against property, they seldom admit serious flaws in investigation, lethargic approach towards ensuring arrest of wanted criminals and lack of solid evidence submitted in courts.

The spat of police encounters taking place in many districts of the province also shows desperation of the force stemming from their failure to bring down alarming crime rates through prevention and detection.

A source at the Central Police Office says the police inspector general in his monthly meetings with field police officers of nine regions and the capital city officers has been stressing upon arrest of proclaimed offenders and controlling sectarianism.

He says that according to police record, a good number of suspects wanted in dacoity and robbery cases are still at large.

Official statistics claim that out of 25,698 cases, 14,594 are still under investigation and 546 have been declared untraced. It is also claimed that police have submitted challans in 9,081 cases of crimes against property, but the sources say many of the challan have been submitted incomplete.

According to a field police officer, cases of dacoity and robbery are one of the major concerns for police investigators because of loopholes in criminal justice system and lack of complainants’ will to pursue robbery cases. He says complainants hardly pursue robbery cases, especially after they are get back the looted items.

He admits staged encounters are aimed at eliminating hardened criminals when it is feared that they might get released on bails due to non-pursuance of cases by complainants and flaws in investigation. But, he adds, it has also been noticed that heinous crimes witness serge in the districts where encounters take place excessively.

He says a study carried out by a senior police officer on rising crime against property in Gujranwala region and Lahore district found that criminals struck with more force after a series of police encounters in these areas. It shows that gangs of hardened criminals become more desperate and aggressive after police encounters.

Another police officer says that in a recent study he carried out in the district he was posted on criminals arrested for under Sections 392 (punishment for robbery) and 395 (punishment for dacoity) of Pakistan Penal Code in the last few months or so, he was shocked to find that 99pc accused got released after only a month-long imprisonment.

He says most criminals secure bails due to non-pursuance of cases by complainants, police failure to ensure identification parades, lack of ‘genuine’ recoveries and much-delayed court verdicts.

In some cases, he says, complainants reach out-of-court settlement with arrested and at large criminals on their own and withdraw charges in courts.

He says that detection ratio in crime against property cases has been up to 45pc in rural districts while it is up to 30pc in the city districts like Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad. “The ratios can’t be termed low keeping in view meager police resources and shortage of manpower,” he adds.