In response to an alarming rise in crime, Karachi police has announced the launch of another separate squad “Shaheen Force” to curb the rise of street crimes in the port city. Karachi police chief Javed Alam Odho has said the Shaheen Force would comprise around 200 policemen, including sharpshooters.
As per the report issued by the CPLC, over 56,500 cases of street crime have been reported in Karachi during the current year. Over 19,000 mobile phones were snatched from citizens, while 104 cars were forcefully taken and 1,383 bikes were stolen.
The Sindh Police—and other provincial administrations as well—have set up special units or forces focused on an area of crime in the past, yet, as it stands today, Karachi appears more dangerous than ever, and it only seems to be getting worse. According to one report, at least 16 people have been killed in street crime incidents in the current year.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has attributed the rise in street crimes in Karachi to the current financial situation of the country. This is an unacceptable excuse, which does not explain why it is Karachi that must experience unbridled crime rates and not other cities which have in likelihood experienced worse hardship due to the lack of economic infrastructure compared to Karachi. Urgent measures are needed to crack down on gangs of street criminals.
This new force is one step that shows that the police have at least tried to address the concerns about rising crime—however, the Sindh government must also do more to demonstrate exactly how this force shall reduce crime when others could not. Currently, this initiative appears to be a lacklustre response—many police officials already have the equipment that the Shaheen Force will have, but that is not making a substantial difference. It is also not clear how snipers or the new force will be able to catch criminals, especially if the right investigative legwork has not been done in advance.
The prioritisation must be on training, and proactive policing through investigation and solving crimes, making sure criminals are taken off the streets before they commit any more crimes against citizens.
