Not sparing even pettiest of crimes: Police on rise in Bengaluru’s cases

The crime data, released by City Crime Record Bureau (CCRB) here on Wednesday, reveals that there has been a general rise in crime cases in the city. Surprisingly, the rate of detection has fallen in 2023, compared with the previous two
years.

The crime detection rate in 2023 has fallen to 29% from 45% in 2022.  

Srinivas Gowda, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime-2), explained that filing of FIRs have shot up because even the pettiest crimes are being converted into FIR. Even the nuisance cases are reported. Hence, the numbers are high.”

Another senior officer, on conditions of anonymity, told DH, that the year before last, small thefts like stealing of a vessel or a bottle were not converted into FIR. But now, we are filing even those cases as well. Hence, the number of house break-ins, burglary and theft (HBT) cases have increased.

“In such cases, detection is generally low. Hence, even the case detection percentage has fallen,” the officer said. 

Gowda said most of the cases that were registered and investigated in 2022, were detected in 2023. 

This is why the overall detection rate is high in 2023. While some of the cases that were registered in 2023, were detected and solved, the rest are under investigation. He noted that the investigations this year have got better and the same will reflect in next year’s data.

Police investigations have improved. An officer who has been a part of the investigations told DH that there were two major things that slowed down the investigation.

One is election bandobast and secondly, the many transfers that happened in the interim.

“Had these two things not been there, both investigation and detection would have shot up,” the officer said.

The quality and speed of investigation in solving criminal cases have improved in the last three months of 2023. 

Murder for gain

Speaking about murders, Gowda underscored that murder for gain has decreased, which suggests that law and order was in control in 2023. 

Police sources indicated that most of the petty case suspects usually get bail. They come out and continue committing the crimes. This has led to the increase in cases such as motor vehicle thefts (a most commonly committed crime).