Over 90 per cent snatching, robbery accused are first-timers: Delhi top cop

More than 90 per cent of the accused in snatching and robbery cases are first-timers which poses a challenge for the police, Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik said.

According to statistics shared 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.

Patnaik said 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.

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.

"That is one thing that we are trying as far as first-timers are concerned. As far as other preventive measures against street crime are concerned, our focus is on increasing visibility on roads, patrolling by special motorcycles, and group patrolling by senior officers, beat officers and SHOs," he said.

Patnaik said the police identify hot spots and accordingly plan their policing pattern in a dynamic fashion.

"The district DCPs themselves are involved in the planning and implementation part about policing and patrolling facility. Then we identify the criminals involved in robberies and snatching," he added.