The crime rate in Rawalpindi is only going up, from theft of vehicles, especially motorbikes, to armed robberies, kidnappings, and murders.

There were high hopes that City Police Officer Mohammad Wasal Fakhar Sultan Raja and the induction of Hamid Mukhtar Gondal as inspector general of police, Rawalpindi, would help improve worsening law and order, especially bring down street crime. But it was not to be.

The July-September figures paint a sorry picture of law and order in the city and the district. According to police statistics, in January to September this year, there have been 13,465 reported crime cases, against 12,488 in the same period last year.

The CPO had taken some measures to improve the working of police, issuing orders to get back the impounded vehicles used 'illegally' by some influential people, including some of his colleagues. Has he been able to get any positive results? The answer is no.

A week ago the CPO ordered the SP and DSP headquarters to submit a report on the impounded vehicles in the Police Lines or in the compounds of some police stations. The report is to probe how many impounded vehicles are under the use of influential people or how many are missing as these vehicles are government property.

The deadline has lapsed and there is no report. Insiders suggest some colleagues of the CPO are not willing to return the “luxury impounded vehicles”

The second priority is to curb the theft of vehicles. RPO Goldal after assuming charge went into a session with police officers to discuss the sharp increase in vehicle-lifting. The RPO, posted in Lahore before coming to Pindi, was astonished to see the figure of vehicle thefts—1,672 in the last nine months against 1,124 in the same period last year.

In the nine months this year 665 cars and 616 motorbikes were stolen compared to 560 cars and only 277 motorbikes taken away in the same period last year. In September this year, 211 vehicles were stolen or snatched compared to 140 in September 2009. Police usually try to hush up theft of vehicles, instead of registering a case. “The vehicle theft is continuing despite serious concern expressed by RPO,” a police official, requesting anonymity, said.

The RPO must be worried because of sharp increase in the theft of motorcycles, cheap transportation for middle class. Though he discussed the issue with his colleagues in depth, no practical steps have been taken to check the crime.

However, the CPO believes the police performance has improved since he has assumed the office. But he did not reveal how many stolen vehicles the police have recovered? And how many of the recovered vehicles have been returned to owners? The CPO claimed that his efforts have brought the detection rate to 35 per cent from 18 per cent in the previous year.

Official figures put the armed robberies at 522 reported cases compared to 334. In one of the armed robberies, a sub-inspector posted at Westridge police station was gunned down by robbers. No arrests have been made yet.

Burglaries have also witnessed big jump to 473 in January to September this year against 324 in the same period last year. Similarly 613 theft cases were reported in the nine months compared to 521 cases reported in the same period in 2009. Cases of murder and attempted murder went up to 229 and 336 in the current year against 209 to 276 in 2009 respectively.

Surge in kidnappings led to registration of 400 cases in January to September this year compared to 343 cases registered in the previous year. There was one less case of kidnapping for ransom this year against 12 in the first nine months of 2009. The cases involving policemen stood at 78 in the nine months in 2010 compared to 70 in 2009. There has been a considerable decrease in police swoops against gambling dens, illegal arms and narcotics compared this year.

There is no improvement in rude police behaviour with the people, though such incidents have been brought into the notice of CPO. There is a general perception that the police officers removed or transferred following public complaints are brought back in the district after sometime. The question is: how the CPO would get positive results from the police officers removed and transferred on public complaints?