With the rapid popularization of online and mobile payments in recent years, the number of households keeping large amounts of cash at home has significantly decreased. Consequently, criminals have shifted their focus to electronic products and gold jewelry found in homes, such as laptops, iPads, mobile phones, cameras, luxury watches, and various gold ornaments. These items are then quickly fenced for cash at low prices.
At a recent press conference, Shanghai police disclosed the characteristics and prevention strategies for residential burglaries in Shanghai since 2017. With the Spring Festival approaching, police reminded citizens that social activities like visiting relatives and friends will increase. Before leaving home, residents should enhance security measures, avoid leaving valuable property unattended whenever possible, and, if feasible, leave a light on indoors.
According to police disclosures, 2017 saw a downward trend in the number of residential burglary cases reported in Shanghai. The number of reported cases dropped by 33.2% year-on-year, and the number of registered cases decreased by 7.4%.
Despite this, some characteristics of these burglaries still warrant attention. Some criminal groups, connected by ties of hometown, kinship, or classmates, operate collaboratively, moving across different regions to commit crimes. Their methods spread quickly among people from the same area, leading to a rapid increase in offenders from specific regions, which significantly impacts public security nationwide. Based on individuals apprehended in Shanghai in 2017, burglaries committed by individuals from certain specific areas were particularly notable.
From July to November 2017, a series of burglaries targeting safes occurred in areas like Xidu, Wuqiao, Guangming, and Jianghai in Fengxian District. After on-site investigations and comparative analysis, Fengxian police established a special task force to investigate these multiple cases collectively.
The investigators identified five suspects: Jiang, Shao, Liu, Zhang, and Jiang. In the early hours of November 22, after stakeouts, police apprehended four of them—Shao, Liu, Jiang, and Zhang—near Hengjinggang Bridge on Daye Highway in the Zhuanghang Town/Wuqiao area of Fengxian District. Various burglary tools, including metal pry bars, caps, gloves, masks, utility knives, and screwdrivers, were found in Jiang's bag. Subsequently, another suspect, Jiang, was arrested at a residence in Nandu Village, Xidu Community, Fengxian District. This operation led to solving 10 safe burglary cases targeting enterprises and institutions across districts including Fengxian, Putuo, Jiading, and Minhang, involving a total value of over 2.4 million yuan.
Upon searching the suspects' residences, police recovered a large quantity of stolen items from the temporary lodgings of suspects Jiang and Shao, including watches, mobile phones, tablet computers, commemorative coin albums, and jewelry. During interrogation, suspect Jiang confessed that having previously worked for a large company, he knew that some units handle significant amounts of cash for payroll, which is often stored in safes.
Police remind the public that as the year ends, both residential homes and unattended business premises can become targets for criminals. For those with safes at home or in offices, consider securing the safe firmly, embedding it into a wall, or using concealment measures to obscure it. Such steps can create obstacles for thieves and reduce their chances of success.
