Police Step Up Patrols as Sankranti Exodus Raises Burglary Fears
The surveillance initiative is aimed at monitoring locked houses and deterring burglaries during the festive season
Visakhapatnam: With thousands of residents set to travel to their native places during the Sankranti harvest festival from January 13 to 18, police across North Andhra districts have intensified patrolling and issued crime-prevention advisories to protect houses left vacant during the holiday period.
Sankranti, the biggest festival in Andhra Pradesh, has traditionally been a peak season for property offenders, who exploit deserted homes to commit burglaries and thefts.
The advisory urges residents to secure doors, windows and grills with reliable locks, and avoid keeping cash or jewellery at home, instead using bank lockers. Police have also recommended the installation of CCTV cameras in apartment complexes and encouraged citizens to use the Locked House Monitoring System app while travelling. The surveillance initiative is aimed at monitoring locked houses and deterring burglaries during the festive season.
The heightened alert comes amid worrying property crime trends in the region. According to data presented during annual crime review meetings, Visakhapatnam district recorded 1,149 property crime cases in 2024, with stolen property valued at ₹9.38 crore. In 2025, the figure dipped slightly to 1,126 cases, with losses amounting to `7.82 crore.
Vizianagaram district reported 539 property offences in 2024, which fell to 407 in 2025, reflecting improved preventive measures. Anakapalli district, however, saw a marginal rise, with cases increasing from 406 in 2024 to 417 in 2025.
In Parvathipuram Manyam district, 109 property-related cases — including robbery, day and night burglaries and theft — were registered in 2024, with losses of `98.83 lakh. Due to intensified patrolling and awareness drives, both the number of cases and the value of stolen property declined in 2025, with losses falling to `67.04 lakh.
Alluri Sitarama Raju district has seen fluctuating burglary figures over the past three years, recording 65 cases in 2023, 53 in 2024 and 68 in 2025, totalling 186 cases. Overall property offences in the district have risen steadily from 339 in 2023 to 421 in 2024 and 541 in 2025. Police recovered property worth `46.30 lakh in 2025.