BENGALURU: There has been a slight decline in burglary cases in the state, but concerns persist due to a rise in daytime burglaries over the past two years. Meanwhile, over the last two years, at least one temple burglary has been reported daily in the state.
According to the data, 1,128 daytime burglary cases were registered in 2024, compared to 1,118 in 2023 and 990 in 2022. Additionally, there were 4,322 night burglaries in 2024, 4,852 in 2023, and 4,437 in 2022. In 2024, a total of 365 temple burglaries were reported, including 342 nighttime and 23 daytime incidents. In 2023, 409 temple burglaries were reported, with 385 occurring at night and 24 during the day.
Among the 16,845 burglary cases reported in the past three years, only 74 have resulted in convictions (0.43 per cent).
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Lokesh B Jagalasar, said that while burglary cases are on a downward trend, the occurrence of daytime or nighttime burglaries largely depends on the accused. Most burglary suspects are habitual offenders inclined by habit to break into homes and establishments. While some have a specific modus operandi, others choose to operate during the day or at night.
He also attributed the slight decline in overall cases to improved policing, CCTV cameras at major locations, and better case detection. He advised the public to alert the control room or local police if their house is locked for more than two days.
A senior police officer noted that most burglary incidents previously occurred at night in residential and commercial areas. However, criminals have altered their pattern, now targeting homes during the day, especially over long weekends when people are away.
He added that temple burglaries typically involve the theft of money and gold ornaments from donation boxes, especially in small, rural temples, with amounts ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000.
Another deputy commissioner of police said the low conviction rate in both daytime and nighttime burglaries is primarily due to a lack of witnesses and concrete evidence. Burglaries often occur when no one is home during the day or when residents are asleep at night, making direct eyewitnesses rare. Additionally, suspects often wear gloves or masks, leaving minimal forensic evidence. The challenge of linking suspects to specific crime scenes also complicates proving their court involvement, the officer added.