GUWAHATI, Sept 8 - The COVID-19 pandemic has fetched some unexpected gains for Guwahatians!
The scare created by the novel coronavirus has kept the wrongdoers at bay to a large extent, with Guwahati � often considered as the hotbed of criminal activities � expected to register a declining crime rate by the end of the calendar year.
This, provided the men in uniform do not lower their guard.
As per an estimate, the overall decline in the crime rate could be somewhere close to 30 per cent. This, despite the fact that a number of hardened criminals were released on bail from the Guwahati Central Jail in view of the pandemic.
Data collated by some of the busiest police stations of Guwahati suggest that the rate of criminal cases registered has witnessed a sharp fall ever since the lockdown was announced and the heartening part is that apart from petty crime, the capital city has also witnessed a let-up in crimes of serious nature.
Even Dispur Police Station which invariably records the highest number of cases in the State, has witnessed a dip in the number of cases. Compared to 2019 where it registered nearly 3,700 cases, it has till August this year registered only 1,800 cases, implying that the rate of crime has gone down by 27 per cent.
Similarly, Paltan Bazar Police Station which too is considered as another very busy police station, registered just 596 cases in the first eight months of the calendar year � compared to 1,428 cases registered in 2019 � showing a 37 per cent decline in the rate of crimes committed.
Significantly, Chandmari Police Station has not registered even one-third of the total cases it had registered last year.
While Khetri Police Station had registered a total of 226 cases in 2019, it has registered 143 cases so far, indicating almost an identical rate of criminal cases registered.
Bharalumukh Police Station too witnessed a fall in the number of cases from 844 last year to 456 in the first eight months of 2020.
Likewise, Noonmati Police Station registered 461 cases till August this year against the aggregate figure of 808 last year.
Panbazar PS which is another important police station, has not even registered fifty per cent of the cases it had to deal with in the preceding year. Compared to last year�s total tally of 911 cases, it only registered close to 440 cases till August 30. Similar is the case with Hatigaon and Basistha police stations, which during the first eight months of the calendar year, registered less than half the cognizable offences registered last year.
�We do not know when it was the last time that Guwahati registered a declining trend as far as crimes are concerned. This would be one of the rarest occasions for Guwahati�s crime map when the number of cognizable crimes reported in the capital city would be less than what was recorded in the preceding year. And therefore the real challenge would be to maintain the vigil and not be complacent,� a senior police officer said.
