By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Nov 1 : The Metropolitan Police Range Bhaktapur informed of improving in various sectors to tackle the latest trends of crimes.
Organising a press-meet at the range on Sunday, Superintendent of Police (SP) Shiva Kumar Shrestha informed that sectors of surveillance, investigation, security and service providing have been improved.
According to a presentation by SP Shrestha, cases of crime decreased in the last fiscal year 2020/21 but the trend is expected to increase in the current fiscal year 2021/22.
Police units across Bhaktapur district recorded a total of 565 cases of crime in 2020/21; 652 in 2019/20; 679 in 2018/19; 600 in 2017/18; and 487 in 2016/17.

The cases of crime are expected to reach around 660 in 2021/22. Until the end of first three months of the current fiscal year, 158 cases of crime have been recorded in Bhaktapur.
“Drug smuggling, theft, rape, child sexual abuse, criminal betrayal, extortion, gambling, suicide, murder, and crime against women, children and senior citizens are of major concerns in Bhaktapur,” said SP Shrestha, who is also the chief of Metropolitan Police Range Bhaktapur.

While Bhaktapur Police arrested 16 individuals in 11 cases of drug smuggling in 2020/21, the authorities have already arrested 23 smugglers in nine cases of drug smuggling until October 17 of 2021/22.
In 2020/21, they also arrested eight individuals under eight cases of sexual abuse against children and 40 perpetrators in a total of 38 cases of rape and attempt to rape.
When looked at the recent data, a total of eight rape cases, four attempt to rape cases and two cases of sexual abuse against children have been recorded in Bhaktapur in between July 16 to October 17.

“Data shows that the cases of crime have declined but the community is still unsafe. We are improving our surveillance as well as the sector of investigation and crime prevention. Coordination with community and public has also been prioritised,” said SP Shrestha.
SP Shrestha informed that officers were being deployed at the earliest when police receive information of crime. Mobile vans are kept standby across the district for the purpose.

Separate cells have also been managed for women and children in need of investigation where women officers are deployed.
With a recent installation of 13 CCTV cameras in Sudal area, the Metropolitan Police Range Bhaktapur now keeps 24/7 surveillance across the district through a total of 218 CCTV cameras.