BENGALURU: The dip in
criminal cases reported in Bengaluru was sharper in 2020 than in the previous year, owing to the pandemic. While 2019 saw a year-on-year decrease of 5%, it was nearly 20% last year, show data with the police commissionerate.
However, the
detection rate also fell. As against 69% cases solved in 2018, 59% were cracked in 2019 and 51% in 2020. Last year, 37,836 criminal cases were registered across the city and 19,328 were solved, while the corresponding numbers were 46,858 and 27,531 in 2019 and 49,274 and 33,975 in 2018. Police attribute the reduction in number of cases and detection rate in 2020 to Covid-19 and related curbs.
Heinous
crimes also reduced last year. The number of murders came down from 204 in 2019 to 179 in 2020, robberies from 505 to 375, chain-snatching cases from 225 to 152 and attempt to murder from 548 to 501.
Police commissioner Kamal Pant explained: “All activities reduced to a large extent in 2020. This is the reason why crimes like robbery, chain-snatching, house-break thefts, dacoity and motor vehicle thefts decreased. Also, a section of the society migrated from the city due to Covid-19, which contributed to the decline in crime rate”.
Asked about the fall in detection rate, Pant said the cases cracked in 2020 were those reported in previous years. Also, restrictions on inter-state travel hindered cops’ pursuit of the accused and the booty till August and September. “Soon, we will see a turnaround in terms of detection. The statistics don’t include some of the detections made owing to pending investigations. Overall, we shall have a good detection rate this year,” he said.