Mumbai: Overall increase in city crimes, especially street, cyber and crimes against women

A look at the recent data published by Mumbai Police shows that there is an overall rise in crime in the city. City police recorded 64,656 cases in 2021, a whopping 13,588 more than the number for the preceding year. Police have attributed the rise in overall figures to the addition of lockdown-related offences.

The data also revealed a substantial rise in street crimes and crimes against women, along with other crime heads like murder, extortion, house break-ins and motor vehicle thefts. The statistics show that there has been a 25 per cent increase in crime against women and children.

Cybercrime in Mumbai, too, has risen, going from 2,435 cases in 2020 to 2,833 cases last year. This increase has been ‘credited’ to credit and debit card frauds, with cases jumping from 558 in 2020 to 1,075 last year.

Despite continuous efforts by police to spread awareness on cyber safety, fraudsters keep exploiting gullible people using the by-now-familiar lottery scam, Know-Your-Customer (KYC) and lately, Covid frauds. Citizens must report cybercrime at the earliest, as there is a 48-hour window wherein their money can either be frozen in the account or the charges reversed through the bank, keeping it safe, is the police refrain.