Dubai: Dubai Police received 289 reports of house burglaries in 2015, a decrease from 333 in 2014, an official said.
Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Dubai Police Chief, said that people should register with the Dubai Police home security service if they are travelling to avoid home burglaries.
Of the 289 reports, there were 203 instances where the culprits were known and 86 were unknown.
When homeowners are away, they often leave their home and contents unsupervised, leaving a window of opportunity for thieves.
Those who register with police can enjoy a little more peace of mind knowing that stepped up police patrols around homes that police know are empty may prevent property loss.
In 2014, there were a total of 333 home burglaries, about a four per cent increase from 321 in 2013. Of the 333 robberies, 197 were in villas, 14 were in traditional houses, and 122 were in apartments.
Major General Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant to the Dubai Police Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, said that Dubai Police has this phenomenon under control and it is no longer a worrying issue “as the reports of robberies have gone down significantly from previous years,” he said.
Thieves usually jump over the homes’ fences, break the doors and then steal money and jewellery. For apartments, thieves usually ensure there is no one in the house before breaking the locks and stealing.
Al Mansouri said that gangs of different nationalities, such as Asian, European, Latin American and Africans and very few GCC nationals, have committed such crimes, but the most common are African and Latin Americans. Dubai Police have arrested more than 400 thieves.
He added that 13 of these thieves were juveniles.
In 2015, Dubai Police received 389 requests for home security, an increase from 282 requests in 2014, and 213 in 2013.
