Team Herald
MARGAO: For the third year in a row, no housebreaking cases have been reported at the Margao Town Police station during the Ganesh festival despite many families living in Margao proceeding to their native places to celebrate the festival with other family members.
Margao Town Police Inspector C Patil attributed this to the success of the intensive campaign launched by the police amongst the people. The thieves have realised that it is futile to break into the houses as people no longer keep their valuables at home.
Besides the intensive patrolling, a lot of people move around in Margao during the festival and this also acts as a deterrent to thieves who may have been planning to break into some houses. But more important is the fact that people when they leave for Ganesh festival no longer keep their valuables in the houses and thieves have now realized that it is not worth breaking into houses during the season, said Patil. While admitting that the police department has a bit of a problem on the first two days as most of the staff members go to their native places to celebrate the festival with their families. “But we permit them to go home on a rotation basis such as during off hours,” he said.
Besides, the two Indian Reserve Police battalions allotted to Margao was a big help in policing the town during the festive season, he said.
According to him, the very fact that police have identified some thieves and keep them under scrutiny at all times, had also helped in stopping the house breaking cases.
“We have even arrested some thieves,” he said and added that police follow the thieves even in civilian clothes due to which they (thieves) don’t dare to take any chances.
