Alert citizens can prevent burglaries: Police

mumbai: the second-floor flat of union minister for petroleum and natural gas ram naik in jaiprakash nagar, goregaon, was broken into and ornaments and valuables worth rs 2.6 lakh was stolen on november 15. the reay road flat of mohammed khatlab, an approver in the mumbai serial blasts, was burgled in the first week of november despite the presence of five police guards.mr khatlab, who was away in ajmer, lost valuables worth several lakhs of rupees. these incidents only show how difficult it is for the police to prevent burglaries. mumbai, according to official records, witnesses about 2,500 burglaries every year. while officials state that 18 per cent of these cases are solved, observers of the crime scene feel that the detection rate is less than 10 per cent. for instance, they say, even the high-profile ram naik case remains unsolved. the policemen, however, blame careless residents for the high incidence of burglaries, which registers a spurt during the vacation season coinciding with divali and christmas. in a majority of burglary cases, residents do not follow basic precautionary measures, charge the police. for example, in mr naik's case, the building where the burglary took place did not even have a watchman. in some other cases, the residents had failed to inform neighbours before proceeding on a vacation. "residents fail to install double doors and balcony grills, making it easier for a burglar to break in," an officer said. for example, in mr khatlab's case, the thief came in from the window. although the police do not recommend burglar alarms to every citizen, they have suggested a few simple preventive measures which can prevent a housebreak. assistant commissioner ashok khupsare said, "residents should not discuss their travel plans in front of domestic workers and strangers. the building watchman should remain alert and prevent the entry of salesmen and suspicious looking persons. many times, these persons tip-off burglars about the occupants in the flat, the neighbours, the security in the building, etc." another senior officer said that residents going on a vacation should not keep cash and jewellery in the house. "they should deposit the cash in a saving's account and the jewellery can be kept safely in the bank locker," he suggested. in the reay road burglary case, mr khatlab had purchased jewellery for his daughter's marriage and kept it in the cupboard. "he should have kept them in a bank locker," the officer said. he further stated, "those going on a vacation should ensure that their neighbours maintain a list of required telephone numbers (100 for control room, 263-3333 for alert citizens and a local police station number). the watchman can be provided with weapons such as lathis so that he can face a burglar even if the latter is armed." incidentally, a jail term rarely fails to deter burglars. the police now plan to keep tabs on every offender who is released from jail. for example, lalji baria was arrested by the d.n. nagar police a couple of years ago. after being sentenced to imprisonment for about 20 months, he was back in the "business" of breaking into houses in the western suburbs. the police arrested him about a month after he was released from jail.