Crime is a grave offence and perennial bane for society. Crime has existed in society in various forms since time immemorial. There are different types of crime ranging from felony to organized crime. At present, Pakistan is plagued with every sort of moral, social and political crime. More so, street crime, social crime, brutal homicides, organized crime, cybercrime and rampant corruption have posed a serious challenge for law enforcement agencies. There are different crime combating strategies in place but challenges are galore as well. The prevailing crime situation reflects a lackadaisical performance of police on different counts. Still, the fact remains that socio-economic mayhem and lack of political will are the major drivers of crime surge in society.
Police is a law enforcement agency and important component of criminal justice system. However, criminals in Pakistan are being dealt with under the adversarial justice system. In this system the onus of proving a crime rest upon the prosecution, therefore, the police has to make extraordinary efforts in the collection of evidence to prove guilt on the part of accused. Every police officer has certain responsibilities and duties to abide by to give a sense of security and protection to aggrieved citizens. It is the responsibility of a police officer to behave with due decorum and courtesy with all citizens. Duties are massive in nature; the most significant are protection of the life, property and liberty of people. Effective crime control and empathetic public service is the touchstone of police efficiency. The fact remains that the public trust on police is at the lowest ebb. People are skeptical of the working efficiency of the Police Department. It is really unfortunate that Pakistan lies at 129 out of 142 countries in the world Justice Project Rule of Law Index (2024). Durther dissection shows that in order and security paradigm, it places at 140 out of 142, in the dispensation of criminal justice it lies at the place of 98 out 142 countries. At the regional level, Pakistan ranks fifth out of six countries in South Asia.
Notwithstanding that, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has shown strong commitment to eradicate crime in the province. For this purpose, she has displayed robust political will by providing leverage to the incumbent IGP Punjab Dr Usman Anwar to utilize every resource to curb the crime and ameliorate the dwindling law and order situation. The Inclusion of Key Performance Indicators to gauge the operational and administrational performance of command at District and Regional tiers and establishment of Crime Control Department, provision of appropriate resources and massive initiatives aiming at strengthening the law enforcement agencies speak volumes of her unwavering commitment to tackle the surge of crime in society. Undoubtedly, the Crime Control Department would prove a feather in the cap of the Punjab Government. The establishment of CCD would be helpful in busting the criminal gangs, reducing crime against property with the help of integrated data at provincial level.
Combating crime requires a blend of conventional and non-conventional methods to ensure effective law enforcement, justice and crime prevention. Conventional means invlude effective police patrolling, vigilant surveillance mechanism, specialized crime control units (crime control department, Counter Terrorism Department), arrests of criminals and provision of evidence for effective prosecution. In this context, there is a dire need to have robust and fail-safe criminal justice system to ensure fair and expeditious trial.
On the other hand, the use of technology, CCTV surveillance cameras, data mining of available big data and analysis of data not only help in the detection of crime but also buttress the crime fighting measures through predictive policing. The employability of traditional and technological measures does not detract from adopting the social and economic reforms. Socio-economic drivers such as unemployment, poverty, social exclusion, domestic violence, drug abuse, beggary, human trafficking, illiteracy, violent movies are the source of surges in the crime matrix.
The incumbent IGP Punjab Dr Usman Anwar has taken a plethora of initiatives in the domain of public service delivery and bolstered the relationship between police and public through extensive community engagement by launching the friends of police to engage students, interaction with community leaders and above all, conversion of all police stations on the protocol of Special Initiative Police Stations (SIPS), buttressed the Police Khidmat Marakaz, Tahafaz centres, Meesaq centres and community outreach programmes. However, the inclusion of KPIs to evaluate the performance of DPOs, CCPOs and RPOs is an exemplary step to formulate the regimen of activity based performance. Moreover, this practice will help in increasing the public trust in the police, speedy redressal of grievances of the public, efficient evidence collection and apprehension of hardcore offenders. Furthermore, combating crime requires a synergy of strategies addressing both prevention and detection of crime and enforcement of law and order.
These traditional and technological initiatives display the unyielding commitment of Punjab Police in leveraging technology for improved policing, community engagement, eradication of crime and enhanced public service delivery. The bare fact remains that police can’t be omnipresent, therefore, a ‘whole of society approach’ is the need of the hour. The citizen needs to be part of policing through abiding by the law, establishing the process of vigilantism (thikri paihra) in the villages. Moreover, structural reforms in society will alter the fate of people through better governance, reduction of poverty, ample employment opportunities, rigorous enforcement of law, flawless prosecution, and dispensation of fair justice to people.
There are different push and pull factors which cause crime in society. Push factors refer to poverty, unemployment, delays in justice, perceived injustice, deprivation, disillusionment, grievances, soaring inflation, rapid urban growth, corruption, proliferation of weapons, drug abuse, youth bulge and educational disparities. Talking about pull factors that contribute in the increase of crime are quick and substantial financial gains, group identity and security, recognition and status privileges among criminal peer groups, adventurous thrill, power wielding ecstasy, romanticized criminal lifestyle and above all availability of ready-made criminal infrastructure.
Therefore, it is essential to grasp the potentials of push and pull factors and to sensitize the youth about the predicament of being involved in criminal activities. Undeniably, there is a dire need of political will to set in place the structural reforms to address the push and pull factors. Youth need to be well aware about the snags of criminal behaviour. The involvement in crime and criminal activites put the individual into the quagmire of retributive justice that is sure to follow. The law enforcement agencies should focus on restorative justice and rehabilitation of offenders to give them space to amend themselves.
IGP Punjab Dr Usman Anwar has a wonderful team including CCPO Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana, MD Punjab Safe City Authorities Ahsan Younas, DIG Hqrs Dr Muhammad Abid Khan, RPO Faisalabad DIG Zeeshan Asghar, CTO Lahore Athar Waheed, CPO Gujranwala Rana Ayaz Saleem and many more in command to serve the public, deliver justice and providing sense of protection to citizen. The digitization process in Punjab Police started in 2015 with the collaboration of Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) to computerize all police stations, this initiative aimed at automating records, Manage citizen complaints through (PSRMS), criminal record management system (CRMS), Human resource management information system (HRMIS) and Anti-vehicle lifting system (AVLS). Moreover, different mobile apps such as crime prevention app, personnel mobile app, zindagi App, Punjab Police Khidmat App, PSCA Public Safety App and Punjab Police Pakistan App were also introduced to protect citizens, identify the crime and criminals. In order to enhance the sytem of dispensation of justice, digitalization of various processes of the criminal justice system has been done to facilitate the public in impeccable service delivery, nd for the collective and greater good. However, it is essential to mention that Punjab Government should take benefit from the professional and administrative expertise of Addl IG Tariq Abbas Qureshi and former IGP Islamabad Addl IG Khan Akbar Nasir Khan.
Likewise, IGP AJK, Rana Abdul Jabbar, has scaled wonderful milestones to enhance workplace expertise, and the use of modern technology in the identification and curbing of crime. The launching of Police Khidmat Markaz and implementation of digital system, especially Driving License Information Management System (DLIMS), are outstanding hallmarks for effective public service delivery. His dedication is remarkable to modernize the policing in AJK to facilitate the citizens and enforcement of law for the safety and security of AJK residents.
The safety of public has gained utmost importance. However, reducing crime has both traditional and technological aspects. Crime prevention demands pro-active policing that includes, effective patrolling, robust intelligence networks, busting of gangs, arrest of missing gang members, forfeiture of property of proclaimed offenders, taking of the surety bonds from the groups involve in chronic blood feuds and criminals released from jail, and massive technological intervention. The establishment of Punjab Safe City Authorities and its functioning in major cities such as Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and smart safe cities in 18 different districts is definitely a rapid stride in the prevention and detection of crime through effective video surveillance and effective communication system. However, the importance of community policing, alternate dispute resolution system, neighbourhood watch system, and establishment of Khuli Katcheri (Open Courts), dynamic beat system cannot be underrated in bolstering the confidence of the public in police , identification of criminals and bad elements in society.
These traditional and technological initiatives display the unyielding commitment of Punjab Police in leveraging technology for improved policing, community engagement, eradication of crime and enhanced public service delivery. The bare fact remains that police can’t be omnipresent, therefore, a ‘whole of society approach’ is the need of the hour. The citizen needs to be part of policing through abiding by the law, establishing the process of vigilantism (thikri paihra) in the villages. Moreover, structural reforms in society will alter the fate of people through better governance, reduction of poverty, ample employment opportunities, rigorous enforcement of law, flawless prosecution, and dispensation of fair justice to people.
