To bring down street crime in Delhi, the police should get to the root of each and every case of snatching or robbery, said former Delhi Police Commissioner Ajay Raj Sharma.
Mr. Sharma said the police should also arrest the receivers of the stolen items. In most cases of snatching, the investigation stops after the snatcher is caught but police officers should also trace the stolen item and arrest its receiver.
To keep criminals out on bail under surveillance, the police should verify the credentials of the guarantors who give surety for them. If the guarantor is not a family member, the police should ascertain his or her motive behind getting a criminal out on bail, added Mr. Sharma.
Source of illegal arms
“The use of illegal arms is rampant. The Delhi police should go beyond their boundaries to find the source of illegal weapons instead of arresting arms suppliers in Delhi,” said the former Police Commissioner.
“Police visibility [in public places] and studying the nature of criminals or the patterns they follow while committing street crime can help the Delhi police [in preventing such crimes],” he added.
Talking to The Hindu , Ved Marwah, another former Delhi Police Commissioner, said that keeping tabs on activities of notified "bad characters", regular patrolling on dark stretches and higher rate of convictions can deter criminals.
He said street crime can damage the reputation of any police force.
“The police should focus more on increasing their conviction rate for all kinds of heinous crimes as that can deter new members from joining gangs or getting involved in criminal activities. Police officers should be made more accountable for the crimes happening on the streets of the city,” said Mr. Marwah.
