Sindh Police’s high-cost smart surveillance project has failed to deliver the expected results in Karachi, as car and motorcycle snatching continued to rise even after the installation of modern cameras worth more than Rs. 1.4 billion.
The Sindh Smart Surveillance System, also known as S4, was introduced in August 2023 to help curb rising incidents of vehicle theft and snatching in Karachi and other parts of the province. The project included 40 cameras installed at entry and exit points across Sindh, including 18 locations in Karachi.
These cameras were designed to detect number plates and identify faces, with all feeds linked to the command and control center at the Central Police Office.
However, official crime figures show that the project has produced only limited improvement in theft cases, while snatching incidents increased after the system became operational.
Data from before the project’s launch shows that between September 2022 and August 2023, Karachi recorded 2,042 car theft cases and 219 car snatching incidents. During the same period, 53,357 motorcycles were stolen and 6,014 were snatched.
After the first cameras were installed, the city reported 809 incidents of car theft and snatching in just the first four months, along with 20,113 cases involving motorcycles.
Following the project’s completion in December 2023, crime data for 2024 showed some reduction in vehicle theft, but snatching moved in the opposite direction. Car theft fell to 1,702 cases in 2024, but car snatching rose to 283. Motorcycle theft dropped to 41,858, yet motorcycle snatching climbed sharply to 8,204.
The 2025 data presents a mixed picture. According to CPLC figures, car theft rose again to 1,859 cases, while car snatching increased further to 309. Motorcycle theft declined to 38,513, while motorcycle snatching dropped to 6,419.
The recovery rate of stolen and snatched vehicles also worsened after the launch of the S4 project.
