The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Increasing two-wheeler thefts causes concern

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Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Increasing two-wheeler thefts causes concern

G. Anand

Police yet to break organised nature of the crime in the city

53 vehicles stolen in the past three months
Wayside vendors suspected to be helping thieves

Thiruvananthapuram: The theft of vehicles, chiefly two-wheelers, has become a recurring crime in the city. As many as 53 vehicles were reported stolen in the past three months.

Most of the thefts are reported during day time from the Thampanoor, Medical College and Museum police station limits. The victims are mainly commuters, white collar workers, students, hospital visitors and families on leisurely outings to parks, beaches and carnivals.

Limited success

The police achieved only limited success in curbing the thefts, which is increasing every year. The police detected 11 cases this year. Last year, out of the 217 vehicles reported stolen, the police recovered around 80. In 2006, 148 vehicles were stolen out of which 20 were recovered.

Other than conducting vehicle checks at predictable timings and intensifying patrolling along regular routes, the police are yet to devise any strategy to break the organised nature of the seemingly unstoppable and worrying series of vehicle thefts in the city.

The Thampanoor police recently made an attempt to net the vehicle thieves by placing motorbikes as decoys in certain locations. However, the culprits did not take the bait. The police suspect that a set of wayside vendors in the area are covertly assisting the thieves. The tendency of two-wheeler owners to park their vehicles in unmonitored areas is one reason for the increasing number of thefts.

Parking on roadsides

Many commuters prefer to park their motorbikes on the roadsides at Thampanoor instead of the railway-owned parking lot. Two-wheelers left unattended for long hours are easy picks for vehicle thieves.

A mechanic said the locks of most modern day two-wheelers were flimsy and would give away easily if the handle was wrenched powerfully in the opposite direction.

Certain motorbike makers devised only very few key patterns, which were repeated randomly in their products. Hence, a thief who possessed all the key types of a particular make could easily steal one at will.

Thieves often sourced duplicates of motorbike ignition keys from dubious repairmen or bank agents responsible for seizing two-wheelers from owners who default on their mortgage repayments.

The police said one ideal way to protect a motorbike was to use a chain lock to secure its wheels.

Installation of video surveillance systems at public places could help the police effectively check motorbike thieves.

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