The number of thefts in the city dipped to around 25 per cent during the recently concluded World Cup as people stayed awake till late at night to watch the matches, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said on Monday.
Almost every other police station in the eastern metropolis records an average of four-five thefts every night but the number dipped to one or a maximum of two since the gaming extravaganza began on November 20, he said.
The reason behind the dip in thefts is because people stayed awake late at night to watch matches, either at home or in groups in local community clubs or in front of giant screens erected in 'paras' (neighbourhoods), making it difficult for thieves to execute the crime, the officer told PTI.He said most of the thefts are generally reported in suburban areas in South East, South Suburban and South West divisions.
"But such crimes went down drastically during the last one month. The number of complaints received in police stations from these areas during this period was quite low. Police stations where at least five to six cases were reported every night during normal times registered only one-two cases daily since November 18," he added.