CCD reports sharp fall in crime rate

LAHORE: The Crime Control Department (CCD) has said serious crime fell markedly in Lahore and Multan over the past year, according to performance reports issued by its regional offices.

The department said serious offences in Lahore declined by 58 per cent, while Multan recorded a 55 per cent drop. The reports compared figures from before the CCD was set up with data from the following year. In Lahore, the number of serious crimes fell from 29,471 to 12,470, while in Multan the total dropped from 23,208 to 10,418.

The reduction followed operations against organised and other heinous crimes across Punjab carried out under the supervision of Additional Inspector General CCD Sohail Zafar Chatha.

Lahore figures

The Lahore region’s report said murder cases decreased by 36 per cent, falling from 399 to 254. Dacoity cases dropped by 53 per cent, from 72 to 34, while robbery incidents declined by 77 per cent, from 8,649 to 1,990.

Murder during dacoity cases went down by 25 per cent and incidents involving injuries during dacoity also saw a decline. It further claimed a 100 per cent reduction in rape-cum-murder cases, saying eight such incidents had been reported before the department was established.

Motorcycle snatching declined by 74 per cent, motorcycle theft by 49 per cent and car theft by 75 per cent. Car theft cases fell from 379 to 94, while burglary cases registered a 46 per cent decrease.

One CCD officer was martyred and 46 others were injured during operations against organised and heinous crime over the past year.

Multan figures

The CCD Multan region said dacoity cases fell from 160 to 44, a decline of 72.5 per cent. Robbery incidents dropped from 8,828 to 3,123, down 64.62 per cent.

Car-snatching cases decreased from 18 to four, while motorcycle-snatching incidents went down from 2,149 to 769. Car theft cases fell from 135 to 58 and motorcycle theft cases from 9,542 to 5,279.

The Multan report also stated that dacoity-cum-murder cases declined from 27 to nine, murder cases from 410 to 251, and burglary incidents from 1,560 to 746.

A CCD spokesperson said officers and personnel had been working around the clock and had made sacrifices to make Punjab a crime-free province. The Regional Officer CCD Multan said efforts to curb serious crime would continue with public cooperation.