Mysuru: Following reports published and telecast in print and electronic media about increase in two-wheeler thefts especially Bullet bikes in city, City Police Commissioner Dr. A. Subramanyeswara Rao, in a press release, has issued a clarification.

In the press statement he has said, there were 378 two-wheeler thefts in 2013, 334 in 2014, 340 in 2015, 414 in 2016, 305 in 2017 and a total of 118 two-wheelers have been stolen till  June 26, 2018. Giving the statistics of two-wheeler thefts from Jan. 2018 till June 26, 2018, he said that 17 two-wheelers were stolen in Jan., 14 in Feb., 17 in Mar., 18 in Apr., 29 in May and in 23 two-wheelers were stolen till June 26.

He has further stated that when compared from 2013 to 2018, there has been a gradual decrease in two-wheeler thefts and added that to further decrease them, Operation Cheetah is being conducted, where checking of vehicles is done by both Traffic and Civil Police personnel, Operation Eagle for night beats, Operation Decoy, where Police personnel in plain clothes watch spots and places where more cases of two-wheeler thefts had taken place, seize unlocked two-wheelers in parking lots and hand them over to the owners after verifying the documents, installation of CCTV Cameras under Government and public partnership, formation of Special Teams consisting of an officer from the Crime Department and staff to trace stolen vehicles and conducting various awareness drives for the benefit of the public. Though there is an increase of two-wheeler thefts this month, there are no new gangs involved in it and to control the thefts and trace the culprits, the above programmes were being conducted, he added.

City Police Commissioner has urged the public to co-operate with the Police by parking   their vehicles in safe places and by locking them, which could control the thefts.