With at least 18 incidents of snatching reported everyday in 2018, the national Capital has earned a notorious reputation. The menace of snatching in Delhi has gone up with criminals being fearless and carrying out snatching armed with weapons. The figure is approximately four times the number of cases which were reported in 2011 which was four a day at average.
As per statistics provided by the Delhi Police in 2018 till September 30, total number of cases of snatching reported was 5,034, which is 18 snatching a day at an average. Last year, total number of snatchings reported in Delhi was 8,231 which were 22 snatchings a day at average. The number, however, was quite less in 2011 with just 1476 snatchings, four in a day at average.
However, the data also shows that since 2015, there has been a steep decline in the snatching incidents. While in 2015 a total of 9,896 cases were reported, the number came down in 2016 to 9,571 and further dropped to 8231 in the year 2017.
While police officials claim that cases of snatching as per data have slightly gone down, the menace of accused persons attacking people has gone up.
According to a senior police officer, the snatchers have made a modus operandi in order hide their identity as well as to easily flee away quickly.
"The accused who have been active in snatching usually operate in a team of two, so to be able to flee on a two-wheeler, mostly the bike or any other two wheeler used by them is modified and the fuel supply of the is regulated as such that the vehicle reaches high speed in a very less time," said the officer.
He further said that moreover the accused generally use stolen motorcycles in the crime, so that they are not traced. Their targets are mostly elderly people , woman who can't chase or raise alarm instantly are targeted , the snatched phones , laptops are sold the same day or gold and silver jewellery are melted to avoid any recovery.
"The snatchers try to operate on dark stretches where possibility of CCTV surveillance is less. On the other hand police have seen that more juveniles are involved in such crimes making them easy to get away easily," said a senior police officer.
Police said that they have formed anti-snatching teams in every district and special staff is also deployed to detect street crime cases while they count robberies, snatching and motor vehicle theft in street crimes.
Last year the Delhi Police had sought amendments to the existing law that deals with snatching. Under the proposed law, snatchers who currently get away with just three years in jail at most, or even with simply a fine, could stare at a prison term of up to 14 years.
POLICE TEAM
Police said that they have formed anti-snatching teams in every district and special staff is also deployed to detect street crime cases while they count robberies, snatching and motor vehicle thefts.
