With an increasing number of burglary cases in Bengaluru, the city police have introduced a new initiative that allows residents to inform authorities about their locked homes when traveling out of town. Under this scheme, police will conduct special patrols around these residences to prevent break-ins and enhance security. The initiative has been launched as a pilot project in South Bengaluru, where its effectiveness will be assessed for potential expansion.

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Bengaluru has witnessed a sharp rise in house burglaries over the past few months. According to a report in Deccan Herald, the city recorded 879 cases of nighttime break-ins in 2023, of which only 264 were solved. In contrast, 702 cases were reported in 2022 and 654 in 2021, highlighting a steady rise in such crimes.

How the initiative works?

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Lokesh B. Jagalasar, speaking to Deccan Herald, stated that the initiative is being implemented under the supervision of City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, who will evaluate its impact before considering a wider rollout. “Our goal is to ensure that no house is left unmonitored. Prevention is always better than detection,” he emphasized.

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Residents who plan to leave their homes unattended can alert the police by sending a picture of their locked house to the Bengaluru South control room via 080-22943111 or 9480801500. The control room will register the request and compile a daily list of locked homes, which will be shared with all 18 police stations under South Bengaluru’s jurisdiction.

Each evening, local police stations will use this list to coordinate night patrols, deploying Hoysala patrol vehicles to cover these areas and provide increased security for unoccupied homes.

Existing system vs. New approach

Previously, morning patrol officers were responsible for identifying locked houses and passing on the information to night patrol teams. However, this manual process was time-consuming and often resulted in homes being left unguarded.

The new initiative allows residents to proactively inform the police, ensuring a more structured, efficient, and citizen-friendly approach to crime prevention.