E-Paper
Chandigarh: Burglars have a free run as 62 cases reported in first eight months of 2023
Chandigarh Police data shows that 62 burglary cases have been reported in the city in the first eight months of the year, while in 2021, 91 burglaries were reported in the corresponding period and in 2022, 62 incidents were witnessed till August 31.
The city has seen no respite from burglaries though theft cases have gone down, data compiled by the Chandigarh Police has revealed.
While theft involves taking someone’s property without the use of force, burglary essentially means illegally entering a property or breaking in to steal property from it.
Chandigarh Police data shows that 62 burglary cases have been reported in the city in the first eight months of the year, while in 2021, 91 burglaries were reported in the corresponding period and in 2022, 62 incidents were witnessed till August 31.
181 burglars arrested in 32 months
The UT police have caught 181 burglars from January 1, 2021, to August 31, 2023. While 62 burglars landed in the police net in 2021, 78 were nabbed in 2022 and 41 were arrested till August 31 this year.
With their arrests, police also recovered stolen properties worth ₹38.82 lakh in 2021, ₹88.98 lakh in 2022 and ₹66.81 lakh in the first eight months of the current year.
53% cases worked out till August 31
As per the police data, Chandigarh police solved 53% of cases in the first eight months of this year as compared to 56% cases last year and 52% in 2021.
A police officer, on the condition of anonymity, said that despite several requests and directions from the police, people haven’t installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on their properties, which makes it difficult to trace the accused.
“During investigation, it was found that many houses, even those located in posh areas of Chandigarh, do not have CCTV cameras. People should understand that CCTV cameras are really important for their security and thus they should install it in shops, factories and houses at the key spots, including entry and exit points of the area,” an officer said.
Decline in thefts
Meanwhile, the city has witnessed a significant decline in theft cases till August this year. While 210 theft cases were registered in the city police stations in the first eight months last year, 178 thefts have been reported in the corresponding period this year.
In all, 277 theft cases were registered across Chandigarh in 2021, 303 in 2022 and 178 cases till August 31, this year.
Items stolen include cylinders, copper wires, laptops or stuff kept inside vehicles and other valuables kept outside the buildings. This data excludes motor vehicle thefts in the city, which is also another major concern for the police.
495 thieves held in 32 months
Police nabbed a total of 495 thieves from January 2021 to August 31, 2023, including 164 thieves in 2021, 197 in 2022 and 134 in the first eight months of the current year.
With this, police also recovered stolen properties worth ₹69.18 lakh till August 31 this year as compared to ₹58.11 lakh stolen properties last year and properties worth ₹50.35 lakh in 2021.
“We are making all sincere efforts to curb the crime in the city. With human and technical intelligence, besides installing regular check posts across the city, we have managed to curb thefts. There is a 10% increase in tracing of theft cases this year as we were able to trace 65% cases this year as compared to 55% last year and 53% cases in 2021. Criminals cannot walk free for long in Chandigarh now,” said Kanwardeep Kaur, senior superintendent of police (SSP), UT.
Baljinder Bittu, chairman of Federation of Sector Welfare Associations (Foswac), Chandigarh, and president of RWA, Sector 21, Chandigarh, said, “With enormous increase in population in the city due to people from across the country shifting here, it is very important to increase the number of cops in the city. Moreover, CCTV cameras should be installed at the entrance of sectors.”
