Noida police constitutes special team to crack down on street crimes

Called the crime response team (CRT), the team consists of five police personnel and will focus on different kinds of street crimes, including mobile phone snatching, chain snatching, burglary, and vehicle thefts

To curb incidents of snatching, burglaries and vehicle theft in the district, the Gautam Budh Nagar police commissionerate has established a dedicated squad to counter street crime, senior officials in the know of the matter said on Tuesday.

The police, however, clarified that the team was not being constituted because of an increase in street crimes; rather to prevent such crimes and to instil a sense of safety in the public. (HT Archive)

Called the crime response team (CRT), the team consists of five police personnel and will focus on different kinds of street crimes, including mobile phone snatching, chain snatching, burglary, and vehicle thefts, among others, said police commissioner (CP) Laxmi Singh.

The police, however, clarified that the team was not being constituted because of an increase in street crimes; rather to prevent such crimes and to instil a sense of safety in the public.

“The team will be led by deputy commissioner of police (crime) Shakti Avasthy. The main job of the team will be to effectively curb street crimes, by following up on tip-offs. The team will coordinate with the in-charge officers of all police stations. Whenever an incident occurs, the team members will get in touch with the in-charge of the police station concerned and exchange information. Based on inputs, the team will prepare the future course of action,” said Singh.

Police said this team comprises inspectors, sub inspectors and constables.

“The focus will be on resolving pending cases of street crimes and busting gangs operating in the district. Information has been sought from all police stations about street crime cases which have not been resolved as yet,” said DCP Avasthy.

He said with the district bordering Delhi, there is a tendency for criminals to flee across the state borders after committing a crime in Noida.

“Our team will work to prevent such incidents. As and when the pending cases get solved, steps will be taken to prevent potential incidents in the future,” he said.

A senior officer said such a team was needed as the Lok Sabha elections were around the corner.

“During elections, a large number of police personnel are deployed on election duty. Criminals get more active during that time. However, the CRT will keep an eye on gangs. Information has been sought from prisons as well, to get a list of criminals with a history of committing street crimes, who may have been released on bail recently,” said a senior police officer, asking not to be named.

Senior officers said once the five-member team becomes active, women police officers will be included to look into burglaries, snatching and robberies committed by women.

According to data available with the police commissionerate, in 2023, as many as 1,098 cases of vehicle lifting, 88 cases of burglary and 29 cases of robbery were registered in the district.

Under “Mission Sahyog” of the city police, 191 lost mobile phones with a value of about ₹50.91 lakh were recovered by the police in 2023.

When asked whether the team has been constituted due to an increase in number of street crimes in the city, Shivhari Meena, additional commissioner of police (law and order), said, “That is not the case. The police commissionerate strives to improve its policing and to stay one step ahead of the criminals. It is our responsibility to prevent street crimes, and the team has been constituted in order to instil fear among criminals as well as impart a sense of safety to the general public.”