KARACHI`s open season for street outlaws has left dwellers reeling under a near epic wave of crime. Data compiled by Sindh police states that 44 residents were killed by muggers in the first five months of 2023 and shockingly, these criminals took a life every third day in the same timespan last year. Over the last few months, incidents of armed muggers killing youth, women and children have come thick and fast, compelling people to surrender valuables sans resistance or delay to stay alive. In this situation, the Sindh caretaker chief minister`s recent remarks that the `government has been putting all its efforts into overcoming street criminals in Karachi and dacoits in the riverine area of the province` and `a foolproof strategy and the innovative mechanism ending dacoit culture` were heartening but lacked a sense of urgency. It cannot be stressed enough that the crime epidemic has to be treated with the same awareness and preparedness as a public health concern.

What is more than apparent is that exclusion of economic disparity and weapon control measures from policies to counter crime will prove ineffective. Today, the availability of illegal arms and absence of education, employment or measly earnings create fierce criminals. These factors also indicate that unless our political elite make the security of ordinary people central to their economic and political campaigns, little will improve. On the other end, while repeat offenders and street criminals should not have access to easy bail, the resolve to freeze ammunition supply and weeding out rogue elements in the police force promise a much better handle on the mayhem. Moreover, reviewing policing for proactive, sensitised and progressive practice will ensure that the city is short on bad news and fewer people return home as dehumanised citizens. Short-sightedness and apathy have brought us to this point. But a crackdown on crime still does not imply that the process becomes a punishment for perpetrators.