Vehicle crime on the rise in Delhi; over 100 stolen every day

A little over 100 vehicles were stolen on a daily basis in Delhi in the first half of this year, suggested police data.

As per the latest Delhi police data, 19,548 vehicle thefts have been reported till July 15. The number during the same period last year was 18,841.

As per reports, in Delhi, vehicle thefts have shot up 163 per cent in the last decade, while the vehicular population has grown by around 56 per cent.

In 2012, around 14,391 theft cases were reported. Between 2014 and 2015, there was a 40.09 per cent jump from 23,411 thefts to 32,797. During 2015-16, there was a further increase of 17.83 per cent – from 32,797 to 38,644.

In 2018-19, Delhi witnessed the sharpest spike, with cases rising by 221 per cent from 2012. Due to the pandemic in 2020, the numbers came down to 35,019. The data showed that during the year 2021, a total of 37,910 motor vehicle theft cases were reported against 33,128 in 2020.

The vehicular population in 2021 stood at nearly 122 lakh.

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According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Delhi reported a maximum number of auto thefts in 2016 with more than four vehicles being stolen every day.

In 2021, the Delhi Police arrested two men who allegedly stole more than 100 cars from Delhi and sold them at lucrative prices in Kashmir. A majority of the vehicles stolen are two-wheelers as they are easier to rob than cars which have more high-tech security systems that are difficult to crack.

The police said that roadside parking and the capital’s close proximity to other state borders, which provides easy access to second-hand markets in neighbouring states, were responsible for the rise of vehicular thefts.

News reports said that an increase in the usage of e-FIRs for vehicle crime has taken the pressure off local police stations. Now, police personnel are rarely held accountable for rising thefts on their watch. The recovery rate of stolen vehicles in the city is low at 10 per cent.

As per reports, in metropolitan cities across the globe, the cases of vehicle theft have soared. In London, vehicle theft crime is reported to be at a three-year high with 16 per cent rise in car thefts.