Even though the city is grappling to control the rising Covid-19 cases, with fewer people venturing out amid the lockdown, the city’s crime rate has plunged sharply to never before levels. As per the figures, in the last three months of lockdown, the city reported a 73% decline in the overall crime rate while crime against women has reduced by 72% as well.
The Mumbai police attributed this decline in crime rate to heavy police presence in the city, restriction on movements and other lockdown guidelines. Since most of the people are locked in their houses leaving the criminals at bay.
The lockdown was imposed in the city on March 23, restricting the movement of people. In the last three months from April to June, the city has reported a total of 14,032 cases, however, 11,395 of them were of lockdown violations which left the number of criminal cases in three months to mere 2637 cases. Last year, the city reported 9790 offences during the same three months period.
During the lockdown, the city witnessed 72% decline in cases of crime against women. In the last three months from April to June this year the city reported 461 cases of crime against women, this count was 1655 last year for same three months period.
The city has also witnessed a stiff decline of cases of child sexual abuses registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences act (POCSO). From April to June this year, the city has reported 85 cases of child sexual abuses this count was at 280 last year. For the same duration this year, 30 rape cases were registered in the city last year this tally was at 123 for the same three months period.
There is a heavy police deployment across the city 24*7 and criminal knew that they will be caught immediately if they attempted to commit an offence, there are around 200 check points in the city which also keeping criminals in check," said Mumbai police spokesperson DCP Shahaji Umap.
