While away, make sure burglars don’t play

Break-ins are already on the rise and Delhi Police have come out with a set of guidelines and are distributing it among citizens, especially those leaving the city for holidays. Faizan Haider reports. Dos and don'ts

Thinking of escaping the Delhi heat? Make sure it is you, and not burglars, who has a good summer holiday.

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Break-ins are already on the rise and Delhi Police have come out with a set of guidelines for residents living in tony areas such as Greater Kailash, CR Park, Maharani Bagh and New Friends Colony. They have printed a pamphlet of dos and don'ts and are distributing it among residents, especially those leaving the city for holidays, with the help of the Resident Welfare Associations.

Before going out, tell the vendor to stop dropping the newspaper, says the pamphlet. “The burglars can notice newspapers lying around and will get to know that no one is home,” said Ajay Chaudhry, additional commissioner of police (southeast).

According to the police, January, May, June and December - when schools break for holidays and families leave Capital for vacations - record a rise in house break-ins.

“Last year, at least 142 such cases were reported in each of these months. The remaining eight months, reported an average of 116 burglaries a month,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.

In 2009, on an average 158 thefts were reported during the “holiday months”, for the other months the average was 137.

Thieves largely strike during the day in summer and are on prowl in the dark in winters.