Festival alert: Beware of jewel thieves

Cops organise seminar on security to instruct people on how to ward off chain snatchers, tricksters

Festival alert: Beware of jewel thieves

Cops organise seminar on security to instruct people on how to ward off chain snatchers, tricksters

If you are planning to step out in your glistening best this festive season, then the advice from the police is 'be on the qui vive'. The police, Zone IV, have undertaken a special awareness drive to make people aware of the recent chain-snatching and cheating incidents.

Better safe than sorry: DCP Sanjay Jadhav explains the security
measures that can be taken at a seminar on security and domestic
crime in Symbiosis in Viman Nagar. Pic/Kavya Singh

One such seminar was organised at Symbiosis in Viman Ngar and was attended by at least 250 people from Vimantal, Vishrantwadi, and Khadki area.u00a0"Considering the ongoing festival season, I have instructed my officers to organise programmes advocating people to take precaution to avoid chain-snatching and cheating incidents," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Jadhav (Zone IV). "In most cases, ignorance on the part of victims leads to such incidents."

Aarti Thackar (55), a resident of Viman Nagar, said burglaries had taken place in her society in September. She said that though her society had upgraded security, thefts continued to take place. Vishakha Gaikwad (32) from Vishrantwadi, a witness to a chain-snatching incident, said she had specially come to learn the techniques on how to avoid such incidents in future. "The video they showed us was helpful. It showed how precautions on the part of citizens could help avoid such incidents," Gaikwad said. Suren Satpal, a social worker, said, "The video warned us against leaving servants alone at home."

Interactive seminars
The participants said more such seminars should be organised. They, however, said the seminar should have been of interactive nature, as it would have given them the opportunity to discuss various issues.

Dos and don'ts
> Don't wear long chains
> Don't openly display your ornaments while walking
> Never accept lift from strangers
> Try to avoid walking in isolated areas while wearing ornaments