Police urge background checks for domestic helps to curb rising cases of thefts

Hyderabad: The recent incident wherein two women working as domestic helps looted the house of their employer at SR Nagar here is not a one-off incident. There have been umpteen such incidents, where people hired to work at homes have looted their employers.

Police have been repeatedly advising residents to get a background verification done before hiring unknown persons, particularly in households with children and senior citizens. Unfortunately, not many heed this advice.

Although many residents and apartments have started installing CCTV cameras in their premises, a majority of them do not seek police verification of the persons they intend to hire.

Hyderabad police commissioner C.V. Anand said that with increasing mobility of persons, along with people looking for work, criminals were sneaking in under the guise of job aspirants. It is always safe to inquire about them and verify their identity proof and other documents.

“Even after verifying at their end, they can always approach the police station or raise a request through Hawk eye mobile app. Though this verification process increases our burden, we are ready to do it as safety of the citizens remains paramount to us,” he said.

Anand pointed out that the service is free of cost and will be completed in a day or two.

“This way the workers will also be aware that they are under police watch,” he said, adding that to take this message to the ground level, they have taken up social media campaigns and community policing programmes.

Members of resident welfare associations said that usually persons known to them or their neighbours or those with references are hired.

Efforts are underway to bring owners of independent houses under this service after duly forming associations. This way they can hire services of registered workers, said Syed Khaled Shah Chishti Hussaini, secretary, standing committee of Tarnaka Residencts Welfare Association.