Increase vigilance against property theft.

It has many underlying complexities.

According to statistics from relevant authorities, from 2018 to 2022, property theft accounted for an average of 42.2% of the total number of criminal offenses in the province. In 2022 alone, there were 339 cases of property theft in the province, accounting for 34%. This indicates that the situation regarding property theft remains complex. The most common type of theft is still theft from people's homes (accounting for 60%).

Typically, in September 2022, in the Yen Toan area of ​​Ha Huy Tap ward, Vinh City, there were a series of thefts of motorbikes and electric bicycles belonging to residents parked in the rental housing area. On September 22, 2022, the Ha Huy Tap Ward Police arrested Vi Van Manh (born in 1997), residing in Quy Hop district (renting a room in Yen Toan area), for the crime of "theft of property," recovering one motorbike worth approximately 7 million VND.

During the interrogation, Vi Van Manh confessed to committing three other thefts in the Yen Toan area. Based on his confession, the police seized two more motorbikes, one electric motorbike, and one electric bicycle.

Vi Van Manh - the suspect in numerous property thefts in Yen Toan neighborhood, Ha Huy Tap ward, Vinh City, and the seized evidence. Photo courtesy of Duc Vu.

Similarly, in early January 2023, several theft incidents occurred in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district. For example, Mr. Nguyen Van B.'s house was burglarized, with thieves stealing a pair of cows worth nearly 30 million VND; Ms. Le Thi N.'s house was burglarized, with thieves stealing an electric motorbike worth approximately 10 million VND. After investigation, on January 11th, authorities arrested Tran Dinh Dung (born in 1990), residing in Lien Hong hamlet, Kim Lien commune, for the crime of "theft of property". Dung confessed that from the end of December 2022 to the beginning of January 2023, he committed 3 thefts in Nam Dan district and 2 other thefts in Hung Nguyen and Nghi Loc districts, with a total value of approximately 70 million VND.

Tran Dinh Dung - the suspect responsible for numerous property thefts in the districts of Nam Dan, Hung Nguyen, and Nghi Loc. (Photo: Pham Thuy)

Besides property theft in residential areas, there is also a growing problem of property theft at places of worship and historical sites. For example, on February 14, 2023, the Nghi Loc District Police successfully cracked a case, arresting four suspects, all residing in Nghi Loc District, for the crime of "property theft".

The seized items included over 20 million VND in cash, 8 broken-off safes, 4 mobile phones, 2 motorcycles, 4 wire cutters, crowbars, and other evidence. During questioning, the suspects confessed that from the beginning of December 2022 until their arrest, they had broken into religious sites such as temples, pagodas, and churches in Nghi Loc district and surrounding areas, committing over 10 safe-breaking robberies with total losses exceeding 200 million VND.

During the crime, the perpetrators covered their faces, assigned one person to act as a lookout, and another to directly break open the safe to steal the money.

Evidence seized in a theft case. Photo courtesy of Pham Thuy.

According to authorities, the majority of thieves lack stable employment and are lazy. Some are involved in social vices such as gambling, alcoholism, etc. Some professional thieves tend to cooperate and collaborate within and outside the area; they operate in a mobile, inter-provincial, and cross-regional manner with increasingly sophisticated and audacious methods, causing significant property damage and negatively impacting the lives and activities of citizens, agencies, units, and businesses. Meanwhile, the application of preventive measures, especially measures to address the loopholes and shortcomings that are the causes and conditions for the occurrence of theft, has not received adequate attention.

The suspects committed more than 10 safe-breaking robberies at temples, pagodas, and churches in Nghi Loc district. (Photo: Duc Vu)

Strengthening prevention

To enhance the effectiveness of crime prevention and control, and to curb and reduce crime in general, and property theft in particular, many localities have proactively coordinated with relevant agencies to strengthen propaganda work on preventing and combating property theft with diverse and rich forms and methods, appropriate to the area, region, and target group; prioritizing the use of the internet and social media applications to disseminate information and receive reports and denunciations of crimes.

Quynh Lap coastal commune (Hoang Mai town) uses social media to disseminate legal information. Photo: Gia Huy

In addition, promoting and mobilizing social resources for the installation of security camera systems in public areas, on roads, and in households is also a useful solution in preventing and deterring property theft or tracking down criminals.

For example, in Thanh Chuong district, the community security camera model has become an "extension" of the police force in ensuring security and order. To date, 35 out of 38 communes and towns have built and implemented the "Community Security Camera" model with more than 500 cameras. Through the camera system, the Thanh Chuong District Police have verified, investigated, and clarified many cases, including 25 cases of property theft.

The police of Quỳ Hợp district presented "Peace Keychains" to the people of Bành village, Châu Quang commune. (Photo courtesy of Hoài Thu)

In many other localities, the "All People Protect National Security" movement has been strengthened through the development and replication of advanced models and exemplary practices associated with "self-prevention, self-management, self-protection, and self-mediation" activities at the grassroots level. To date, the entire province has established and effectively maintained 460 self-governing steering committees, nearly 40,000 self-governing security and order groups, and 346 advanced models and exemplary practices of the public participating in protecting security and order, of which 270 models are operating effectively, such as: crime reporting mailboxes, security keychains; exemplary families in security and order...

Among these, many models have been commended and replicated nationwide by the Ministry of Public Security. For example, in Hung Tan commune (Hung Nguyen district), the "Peaceful Bell" model was surveyed by the VO5 Department of the Ministry of Public Security, which issued a notice requesting local police to refer to and apply it. Accordingly, in any hamlet of this commune, you will see a bell hanging in the courtyard of the community cultural center. At 10 PM in winter and 10:30 PM in summer, police officers in the hamlets will ring the bell to remind families that it is time to go to bed, maintain public order, and not go out late at night. According to Mr. Nguyen Trong Tam - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Hung Tan commune: The Party Committee and the government of Hung Tan commune have also established 41 self-governing groups on security and order with 933 members, and 4 model self-governing groups with 100 members in the villages… Thanks to this, the people's awareness and compliance with the law have been raised, and security and order have been ensured.

The peaceful sound of the gong in Phan village, Hung Tan commune (Hung Nguyen district). Photo: Gia Huy

On the part of the authorities, in addition to closely monitoring the situation and strictly managing the area and individuals involved, they should organize intensive campaigns to attack and suppress all types of crime in general, and property theft in particular. They should also strengthen coordinated patrols to cover the entire area, especially key routes, and closely monitor population movements, household registration, residence management, and businesses operating under conditions related to security and order; and ensure that those who have completed their prison sentences or drug addicts in society do not create the conditions or opportunities to commit crimes.

At the same time, based on investigations into property theft cases, reviewing and summarizing the methods, tactics, causes, and conditions giving rise to crime, and identifying shortcomings in property management and protection, we will then advise on propaganda, guidance, and directly apply highly effective preventive measures.

However, along with the decisive involvement of authorities and localities in combating and preventing crime, every citizen, agency, unit, and business also needs to be vigilant and proactively protect their assets in order to minimize the causes and conditions that allow criminals to exploit opportunities for theft.

Gia Huy