The Delhi Police is battling first timers who are entering the national Capital to commit crime. Investigations by the police have found that more than 90 per cent of the accused persons, involved in snatching and robbery cases, are first-timers who pose a challenge for the police.
Talking to The Pioneer, Delhi Police Commissioner, Amulya Patnaik, said, “They have launched a sustained and multi-pronged strategy to control snatching across the city. Controlling street crime was one of the top priorities of the Delhi Police. Statistics reveal that around 95 per cent first timers were involved in snatchings and other forms of street crimes. All the district DCPs and Station House Officers (SHOs) have been asked to maintain 24/7 beat policing and employ more means if the situation demands".
"The focus of Delhi Police is to curb street crimes, including robberies and snatching incidents, in which firearms are also used at times. He said there has been a steady decline in such incidents from 2016 to 2018. In 2016, 9,571 cases of snatching were reported", Patnaik said.
" We have been taking stock of the emerging situation and 'dynamic picketing is being implemented to curb the street crime. A systematic watch has been mounted to identify youths who are vulnerable and taken into the wings. 'YUVA' an initiative aimed at community policing is taking care of such youths and they are being counseled to not to take to the crime", Patnaik said.
According to statistics compiled by Delhi Police, 11.73 per cent of the accused who were involved in robbery cases in 2017 were those who had previous records. This number fell down to 6.80 per cent in 2018 and to 5.52 per cent this year.
Similarly, 9.48 per cent of those accused in snatching cases in 2017 had previous criminal history as opposed to 5.26 per cent in 2018 and to 3.51 per cent in 2019. The number fell to 8,231 in 2017 and to 6,932 in 2018. However, till May 31 this year, 2,812 snatching were reported, an increase from the last year's figure of 2,691 during the same period.
"The worrisome part is that the first-timers are taking to street crimes. So the involvement of those with previous records in robberies and snatching incidents is gradually coming down. First-timers are taking to crime and that is causing problems. They are not necessarily juveniles but first-timers," he stressed.
In 2017, the city police had launched a scheme called Yuva, under which youths who are on the verge of getting into crime are identified and given skill training and jobs so that they do not get into criminal activities.
"Our record, as far as controlling those who have previous record, has been found very successful. It is evident from the decline in the number of cases.
"A first-timer, committing a crime, comes under police scanner and then we start monitoring their release from jail, and when he comes out, our beat officers are monitoring what he does — whether he is again getting into bad habits or trying to do something better for his life," he said.