Theft cases: Salcete detection rate below 50%

MARGAO
Notwithstanding the claims by police in Salcete taluka that efforts are on to arrest the gangs involved in house thefts, chain-snatchings, house break-ins and auto thefts, many cases reported in 2016 have remained undetected.
Margao, Maina-Curtorim, Cuncolim and Colva are the four police stations in Salcete and eight constituencies come under their jurisdiction. The crime detection rate is below 50 per cent. Poor detection of the cases is a cause of concern for the common man and considering this in places like Navelim people have started patrolling during night.
In Margao, four house break-ins during night were reported and two were detected, 11 cases of house thefts were reported and only 3 were detected, 15 other theft cases were registered and 11 detected. Forty-one auto thefts were registered by Margao police and 14 were solved.
According to information, in the year 2016, Maina-Curtorim police booked 8 house break-in cases during night and solved 4 while 4 other thefts were registered and all solved, 6 auto thefts were registered and 2 were solved while Colva police registered 4 house break-in cases during night and solved 2, three house thefts were reported and 1 was detected, 5 auto thefts were registered and no detection was made, 5 other thefts were reported and 2 were solved.
At Cuncolim police station, as many as 6 house break-in cases were reported during night and 1 was solved, 6 auto thefts were reported and 5 were solved, 2 other thefts were reported and 1 was solved.
In the year 2015 in Salcete, three robberies were reported and 2 were detected, seven house break-in cases during day were reported and 3 were detected, 38 house break-in cases during night were registered and 16 were detected, 22 house thefts were reported and 15 were detected, 35 other thefts were reported and 30 were detected.
Even as police are struggling to keep a check on robberies and dacoity cases in Salcete, poor detection of thefts and robberies and recovery of stolen property has raised questions. Robberies were reported in the past at Gogol Housing Board at the residences of two former executive engineers besides robbery at Navelim where an aged woman was attacked and her gold ornaments were stolen. Thefts reported in flats in Margao and Fatorda have remained undetected.
Chain-snatching, house break-ins and robberies have accounted for stolen valuables including gold and cash in lakhs but its recovery is poor as indicated by crime record.
According to a resident, prevention and detection of crimes has failed in Salcete and it needs urgent attention. Several cases are pending however due to poor detection they are not disposed of and aggrieved people have pinned their hopes that their stolen property will be recovered.
“It’s appalling that five out of ten registered crimes are never detected. Nothing can be scarier for the common man. He has to worry for his safety while residing or walking on the streets,” said a woman whose chain was snatched.
While there are no quick fixes to deal with growing crime, a long-term strategy to achieve higher detection rates is the only way to discourage criminals and restore the faith of common man in the police, she said.