LAHORE (The Thursday Times) — The Crime Control Department of Punjab Police says its intelligence-led operations have led to a marked decline in violent and property crime across the province, with officials pointing to steep reductions in murders, robberies and vehicle thefts over the past year.
In Lahore, the provincial capital and the region’s largest city, police data indicates that murders have fallen by 39 per cent, street robberies by 78 per cent and house robberies by 82 per cent. Senior officials describe the figures as evidence that targeted surveillance, data mapping and coordinated field operations are reshaping urban policing.
Across Punjab, the CCD reports that murders have declined by 24 per cent and robberies by 60 per cent. Motorcycle theft, long a persistent problem in the province’s major cities, has been reduced by 20,000 cases within a single year, according to police statistics.
The department attributes the improvement to intelligence-driven enforcement strategies that prioritise repeat offenders, high-risk neighbourhoods and organised criminal networks. Officers say the approach combines digital monitoring, informant networks and rapid response units designed to disrupt criminal activity before it escalates.
Officials argue that the fall in night-time crime has strengthened public confidence and improved the sense of safety for residents. Markets that once closed early due to fear of street crime are reportedly operating for longer hours, particularly in Lahore.
Even critics acknowledge that sustained declines in violent crime, if maintained, could mark a significant shift in policing outcomes in one of Pakistan’s most populous provinces.
For now, the CCD maintains that its results reflect a strategic shift from reactive policing to predictive intervention, with authorities framing the campaign as a template for law enforcement reform elsewhere in the country.
