Rising crime incidents
Thursday, 6 December 2007
Crime incidents appeared suppressed in recent months in Dhaka city. The imposition of emergency, changes in the formation of the police and other measures adopted by the government as well as by the reorganised police force, created the conditions for a deceleration in the crime rate. Citizens, thus, were felling relatively more secure. But a number of incidents happening in quick succession over the last fortnight, are raising portents afresh about a rise in the crime rate. For examples, the incidents of robberies are noted to be sharply on the rise. The latest one was in the Mirpur area where one family was robbed of its precious possessions and the ones who came to their rescue were shot at and killed by the robbers. Less than a week ago, a similar sensational robbery was carried out against a money exchange operator in the heart of the city. In this case, the robbers wore the dresses of security forces very neatly and convincingly that facilitated their easy entry to the premises of the money exchange operator.
'Aggyan' party gangs who specialise in making their victims senseless, got away with cash from a small trader only days ago. Shoot-outs were reported recently at a tempo-stand at Shipahibag between rival gangs. According to the report, the two sides rained bullets against each other suggesting the strength of their arsenals. Incidents of the above nature are being reported more frequently in recent weeks indicating that there is a need on the part of the security agencies to gird up their loins and do a better job in the backdrop of the rising crime incidents.
There are two sides to dealing with these acts of crime. One involves heading them off or preempting them. The other is catching the criminals red handed in their acts. None would disagree perhaps that the first course of action would be appreciated by the majority of the citizens. People are all for leading their life smoothly. They do not wish to be caught in actual criminal mishaps and suffer even the least troubles or losses from the same. Therefore, the security forces should be concentrating their activities on getting more information about the gangs and catch them in their dens or staging areas. Plainclothes policemen, informers from among people, local sources of information carefully cultivated and maintained, etc., can be of great help in such preventive actions on the part of the police. It was focused in the press that the informants the police usually maintain, are not pleased with their compensations and their relationships with the police. A fund is available with the police to pay the informers quickly and adequately to keep them motivated. It appears that expenditure from this fund is not promoting its objective. Thus, this aspect has to be looked into by the authorities concerned.
Stepped up police vigilance or patrolling can be another method of prevention. As it is, these patrolling on a regular basis should now be easier on the part of the police. Policemen in large number used to be pinned down for battling political protesters and for coping with other large scale law and order problems in the past. With these conditions changing for the better, logically it seems more policemen should be available for patrolling and related activities on a round the clock basis. The increase in police's vigilance will not only have the effect of discouraging the offenders, the same will also boost the confidence of the city's residents that their safety and security are being better looked after.
'Aggyan' party gangs who specialise in making their victims senseless, got away with cash from a small trader only days ago. Shoot-outs were reported recently at a tempo-stand at Shipahibag between rival gangs. According to the report, the two sides rained bullets against each other suggesting the strength of their arsenals. Incidents of the above nature are being reported more frequently in recent weeks indicating that there is a need on the part of the security agencies to gird up their loins and do a better job in the backdrop of the rising crime incidents.
There are two sides to dealing with these acts of crime. One involves heading them off or preempting them. The other is catching the criminals red handed in their acts. None would disagree perhaps that the first course of action would be appreciated by the majority of the citizens. People are all for leading their life smoothly. They do not wish to be caught in actual criminal mishaps and suffer even the least troubles or losses from the same. Therefore, the security forces should be concentrating their activities on getting more information about the gangs and catch them in their dens or staging areas. Plainclothes policemen, informers from among people, local sources of information carefully cultivated and maintained, etc., can be of great help in such preventive actions on the part of the police. It was focused in the press that the informants the police usually maintain, are not pleased with their compensations and their relationships with the police. A fund is available with the police to pay the informers quickly and adequately to keep them motivated. It appears that expenditure from this fund is not promoting its objective. Thus, this aspect has to be looked into by the authorities concerned.
Stepped up police vigilance or patrolling can be another method of prevention. As it is, these patrolling on a regular basis should now be easier on the part of the police. Policemen in large number used to be pinned down for battling political protesters and for coping with other large scale law and order problems in the past. With these conditions changing for the better, logically it seems more policemen should be available for patrolling and related activities on a round the clock basis. The increase in police's vigilance will not only have the effect of discouraging the offenders, the same will also boost the confidence of the city's residents that their safety and security are being better looked after.