Evaluating the Effectiveness of Government Policies in Controlling Crime: A Data-Driven Analysis of Pakistan (2010-2020)

Abstract

This study analyzes the effectiveness of government policies in controlling crimes in Pakistan. The study uses official data from the Ministry of Interior and the National Police Bureau to establish trends from the past eleven years, from 2010 to 2020, concerning crimes such as murder, robbery, car theft, kidnapping, or other crime categories. During these years, around 7.58 million crimes have been recorded, out of which robbery comprises the largest number, followed by motor vehicle theft and other crimes. Other significant types of crime that were reported included attempted murder, kidnapping or abduction, burglary, and cattle theft. However, murder and dacoity are less reported in comparison with other crimes. While the gradual decrease in the number of murders, attempted murders, and burglaries shows that enforcement policies worked, at the same time, the increase in the total number of crimes reported, especially kidnapping and some other serious crimes, shows the weaknesses of public policies. The authors of this article stress the necessity and significance of using evidence-based deterrent measures in conjunction with social reforms to devise and apply effective and all-inclusive state policies. They also suggest several recommendations developed in response to the changes in crime.