BHOPAL: Bhopal Police has not been able to control vehicle thefts as cases have risen sharply this year.
As per the police data, 671 incidence of vehicle thefts have been reported to police in 151 days till May 31 this year. During the same period, police recovered around 100 stolen vehicles which is less than 15% recovery.
Around five vehicles were lifted daily on an average. The figure is much higher than vehicle thefts reported last year during the same period by almost 33%. In 2021, 446 vehicle theft cases were reported to police between January and May. As per the police data in six years from 2015 to 2021, 2,550 vehicle theft cases were registered in which 3,897 vehicle thieves were arrested.
Police officials are taking all the measures to check vehicle theft incidents by identifying the hotspots to monitor activities of the recorded vehicle thieves, but still the incidents are being reported on a daily basis. Police have set up checkpoints on city outskirts on the routes to enter and exit the city, but vehicle lifters still manage to dodge the cops.
Organised gangs are involved in vehicle theft incidents in the city. It was proven recently after TT Nagar police with the help of crime branch busted a gang of vehicle lifters involving scrap dealers from Dewas. Police claimed that the gang was active in the city for past 4-5 months and specifically targeted four-wheelers. They revealed of stealing more than a dozen four-wheelers from the city.
A senior cop wishing anonymity said that gangs of vehicle lifters enter the city posing as students and young professionals and lift two-wheelers. They leave the city on these stolen two-wheelers and later sell them to customers or scrap dealers. He said that the surveillance
CCTV cameras which were installed around a decade back provide no help in tracing vehicle lifters.
There is a need to identify vehicle theft hotspots afresh and then through public partnership under the ‘Bhopal Eye’ good quality CCTV cameras should be installed on shops, hospitals, houses and commercial complexes so that in case of vehicle theft police may at least get the exit route details of the accused.
Police have identified more than 90 vehicle theft hotspots in the city from where maximum vehicle theft cases were reported. But the cops claimed that these hotspots change from time to time. When police focus their attention at a spot, the vehicle lifters avoid committing incidents there and change their strategy.
DCP (crime branch) Amit Kumar said that police have started sharing photographs of vehicle thieves so that they may be identified and rewards are declared on their arrests so that they can be caught soon. Police have started scanning the abandoned vehicles parked in parking areas as the vehicle lifters often leave the vehicle in parking areas after stealing them.
Police have started making vehicle theft hotspots on Google maps and sharing them with police stations concerned. Strict checking is being conducted with Vehicle Detection Portal (VDP) to identify stolen vehicles. Checking on the outskirts is being increased and Face Forensic App is being used to identify suspicious people. Police advise caution.
