We'll increase patrolling, keep watch on vulnerable areas: Dhananjay Kamlakar

What is the reason behind the rise in the number of burglaries and vehicle thefts during summer vacations?
Vacation period is the ideal time for burglars and vehicle thieves to strike as they are well aware that the owners are away and it would give them ample time to commit the crime. They also know that before the owner finds out and alerts the police they will be able to go underground.

What measures is the police department taking to tackle this problem?
Though there is continuous patrolling by policemen from each police station in the city, these incidents continue to occur. We are trying to increase the patrolling, especially during nights, in order to curb such incidents. We also plan to put up posters all across the city to inform people what they need to do when they are going out of town. With the help of private security agencies, we are planning to keep a watch on areas that are vulnerable.

How can people help the police in dealing with this problem?
People should be aware of their surroundings and inform the security guard. In many societies, there are no security guards or CCTV cameras. These societies are ideal for burglars and car thieves. A basic security system should be in place if people don't want to fall prey to such crimes.

Why is the detection rate of burglaries and vehicle thefts so low?
It would be unfair to say that the detection rate of such crimes is low as an incident which happened now might get detected after several months. Also, in such crimes, there are gangs that have been operating for years, so, when a crime is detected, it results in detection of several such offences in other parts of the city. We have also started an exercise wherein police officers are asked to identify the thieves in their area and circulate their photographs to other police stations so that they can be identified in case they have committed any similar offence in the jurisdiction of the other police stations.