Property offence cases in the limits of Visakhapatnam city are on the downslide in the first four months of this year when compared to the corresponding period of previous years. Drop in the incidents of house break-in at night is a big relief for the police.
According to statistics from the City Crime Records Bureau (CCRB), as many as 261 property offence cases were registered in 23 police station limits in the city during the first four months of this year as against 621 in 2017 and 468 in 2018. They include 56 house break-ins, 89 thefts and 21 chain-snatching cases.
Dealing with the cases of house break-in at night has always been a tough task for the city police. Locked houses have been the target for the gangs, especially those of inter-State. During the first four months of 2017, house break-ins reported in the city were 123 (101 at night), while in 2018, the figure was 98 (74 at night), while this year it was 56.
“Under the e-Beat police system, each and every beat police has been given tabs which help prevent crimes and identify criminals. The provision of tabs to Blue-Colts, D-Colts and Rakshak vehicles has helped in quick transfer of information and prevent anti-social activities and thefts at right,” says City Police Commissioner Mahesh Chandra Laddha.
According to the police officials working in the crime wing, the E-Beat system software is also being used to track the movement of the police personnel on beat duty and also to check whether all the main areas are covered or not.
In case of any panic situation, once the beat police are alerted, they would reach victims within eight minutes and extend the necessary help.
Chain-snatching cases
As many as 21 chain-snatching cases were reported in the city in the first four months of this year, while during the same period in 2017, the number was 190 and in 2018, the figure was 156.
Fifty-two chain-snatching cases, which were reported from January, 2017 to last month have been cracked and two brothers from Peda Gantyada area --Chandra Sekhar and Gopinath -- nabbed.
“Still 38 such (chain-snatching) cases remained undetected. Of them, most of the cases were reported in PM Palem and a few other police station limits. We are suspecting involvement of north Indian and local gangs. Efforts are on to nab them at the earliest,” says Mr. Laddha.
