Tamil Nadu   

Crime graph up, detection rate low

While crimes such as motor vehicle theft and house break have taken alarming proportions, incidents of molestation, kidnapping and robbery saw a marginal rise in the Union Territory during 2007, compared to the incidents reported in the previous years. However, the most worrying factor was the low detection rate in cases relating to motor vehicle thefts and house breaks, particularly the ones committed at night.

The comparative figures available for 2007, 2006 and 2005 revealed that incidents of motor vehicle thefts increased to an alarming proportion during the last three years. In 2005, 235 motor vehicle thefts were reported. The number of incidents reported in 2006 increased to 320 and the figure scaled up to 490 in 2007.

The police were able to resolve 148 motor vehicle cases registered in 2005, 127 in 2006 and 176 in 2007, which suggests a declining detection rate. The figures suggested that even 50 per cent of the motor vehicle cases reported in the last two years have not been resolved.

Likewise the house break incidents saw a marginal rise in the last three years. The number of incidents increased to 85 in 2007, compared to 84 cases reported in 2006. The number of house break incidents reported in 2005 was 67. In the detection of house break incidents too, the police have failed to resolve a large number of cases. Out of the 85 incidents reported in 2007, only 40 were resolved and the police could manage to detect only 47 of the 84 house breaks committed in 2006.

Police attributed the low detection rate in motor vehicle and house break incidents to the complex nature of the crime and due to lack of evidence.

Another area of concern for the law enforcement agency was the rise in the number of cases such as molestation. A total of 89 molestation cases were reported in 2007, when compared to 56 cases booked during 2006. The number of molestation cases was less in 2006 compared to the 2005 figure of 60. More than 95 per cent of the molestation cases were cracked, which the police say was one of the highest in the country.

The number of murder and attempt-to-murder cases has also shown a marginal increase in 2007, compared to the previous two years. The number of murder cases reported in 2007 was 34 while incidents of attempt to murder were 42 during the same period.

During 2006, 30 murder and 24 attempt-to-murder cases were reported, compared to the previous year’s figure of 20 murders and 24 attempt-to-murder cases.

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