A proactive anti-burglary initiative to protect locked residences

Residents may WhatsApp details to 82779-47777

Mysore/Mysuru: Leaving homes unattended during holidays or personal travel often leaves residents anxious about the safety of their valuables and property.

To address these concerns and prevent burglaries, the Mysuru City Police have launched the ‘Locked House Beat System,’ a proactive initiative aimed at enhancing surveillance of locked houses across the city.

Under the system, residents planning to leave town can register their locked houses with the Police by sending a WhatsApp message to 82779-47777.

Homeowners should share their name, full residential address with PIN code, contact number and dates of departure and return. Police have also encouraged residents to share a photograph or location pin of house for easier identification and monitoring.

Once registered, the information is forwarded to the jurisdictional Police station, enabling beat personnel to keep a close watch on the property through regular patrols  and surveillance.

The initiative was introduced following a rise in burglaries targeting locked houses in the city. Police data revealed that most break-ins were reported between 1 am and 5 am, prompting authorities to strengthen night patrols in vulnerable  residential areas.

Information confidential

As part of the system, beat Police personnel will patrol registered houses at least twice during the night. The programme is being implemented using the existing beat system without deploying additional manpower.

Two to four officers assigned to each beat will give special attention to houses registered under the scheme. Police officials said all information shared by residents would remain confidential and would only be accessible to the concerned beat officers.

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dr. Harsha Priyamvada said the Control Room would share the list of registered locked houses with the respective Police stations for monitoring.

Area Domination Drives

“Police officers will conduct both daytime and nighttime patrols, and the monitoring process will be supervised by ACPs and inspectors in charge of night rounds,” she said.

“If residents inform us in advance that they will be away from home for more than a day, it allows officers to prioritise those houses during routine patrols. Patrolling officers, especially during night rounds, will regularly check registered houses to ensure they remain secure,” she added.

Dr. Harsha Priyamvada said the Police are also intensifying ‘Area Domination Drives’ and CCTV surveillance   exercises in sensitive localities across the city.

“We are not only patrolling main roads, but also entering gullies and bylanes to monitor suspicious activity. Our drives are targeting offences such as substance abuse, wheeling and other public nuisances. These measures have proved effective and act as a deterrent to criminal activity,” she said.

She added that since most burglaries occur during nighttime hours, special emphasis is being placed on strengthening Police presence after dark. “Regular monitoring of locked houses and increased patrolling will help prevent unauthorised entry and reduce property-related crimes,” she noted.

We have implemented the Locked House Beat System based on directions from the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP). At present, we are monitoring 81 locked houses across Mysuru city. These houses are being checked regularly during day and night patrols, as well as during Area Domination Drives. The initiative has helped deter several criminal activities, and we intend to strengthen the system further. — Seema Latkar, City Police Commissioner

One Mysuru resident who travelled to Canada for two months informed the Police and shared all the necessary details before leaving. We are monitoring his house daily during his absence. This is just one example. Residents leaving their homes locked during vacations or travel can register by sending a WhatsApp message to 82779-47777 with the required details. The initiative needs wider publicity so that more people become aware of it and make use of the facility. — Dr. Harsha Priyamvada, DCP (Law and Order)