Owing to the high number of burglaries during summer vacations, the police has rolled up its sleeves to guard the houses when residents are not home.
Picture used for representative purpose only
Come summers and the upper and middle-class residents look towards foreign shores and exotic Indian locations to spend their holidays. The affluent urban G-towner is ready to spend a hefty amount for a good experience but regular thefts and burglaries in the city have cast a shadow over their plans.
According to police sources, in May and June last year (2016), the city witnessed 32 and 49 break-ins respectively. In 2014, the number of such break-ins was 25 and 43 during the same period.
Sectors 23, 56, 57 and 45 in Palam Vihar were among the worst affected. They witnessed break-ins on a large scale throughout 2016, with 266 reported thefts.
This year, however, the city police has rolled up its sleeves to prevent miscreants from making hay during school vacations. As part of an initiative to curb such crimes, the police is set to direct residents going on a day’s outing to keep their neighbours or the police informed.
According to the police, they are raising awareness among the public about the initiative. "If a family informs us of their visit beforehand, we can deploy police personnel who can take rounds of the house each day,” said Deepak Saharan, DCP (East).
Residents allege that the number of such incidents during summer holidays increases as people leave the city for holidays. What is peculiar about thefts during summers is that criminals strike during daytime, and spend considerable time in executing the heists.
Even RWAs admit that the fear among residents is palpable and the situation is such that many residents even drop the idea of going out of station. The role of domestic workers in such crimes has further intensified the fear.
Chinmay Sharma, a student of Std 12 and a resident of Sushant Lok II, Sector 55, says, “Our family cannot plan a holiday together as someone has to stay at home. We have not travelled together for any holiday in the last two years.”
In 2014, 20 houses in a row in Block C, Sushant Lok I, Sector 43, were targeted by burglars while residents were away on summer vacations. In 2016, a dozen cases were reported from the same area. Residents have had sleepless nights over the situation and have decided to deploy a personal guard for the lane, with contributions from the 20 houses.
“I travel frequently, and my wife and children are alone most of the time. I call them twice at night to check on them as the area has been unsafe for the last four years,” says Kumar Gautam, a senior executive with a multinational company and a resident of Sushant Lok I, Sector 43.
