The police are still trying to come to grips with a series of car-thefts and burglaries. They did manage to arrest a gang of car-jackers, but they haven't caught the persons involved in nine daring robberies committed on six consecutive days in October. Things have been relatively quiet since then -- there was just one robbery at an auto-dealer's showroom last week.

The police suspect that the persons involved in the earlier robberies may be youths from ``neo-rich'' rural families who had drained their wealth and had since turned to crime. The police say the robberies could also be the work of an outside gang operating with locals.

Senior Superintendent of Police Khushi Ram Dahiya asserts that it was the handiwork of ``hardened'' criminals.

During the interrogation of the gang of car-jackers arrested in September, it turned out that the men -- Manjit, D.C., Bhupi Shyam and Bhim -- had stolen cars and dumped the vehicles later. All of them had criminal records and were reportedly involved in dozens of car-thefts and robberies. The police also say these men had links with a larger gang of criminals operating in Haryana. ``Whenever some of them are released from jail it becomes obvious that brazen incidents of lawlessness will start occurring in the state,'' remarked an assistant sub inspector (ASI).

The police have made a ``watch-list'' consisting of certain youths from Sirhol, Ulhawas, Jharsa and Gurgaon village. One police official said: ``From past experience we know that some boys from these villages have been involved in crime''.

Since the robberies last month, the public seem have lost faith in the police. Several entrepreneurs who transport cash had been offered police escort. But the businessmen turned down the offers. ``It is better to have one's own security than to have police escort,'' said a former office-bearer of an industrial association.

The police, meanwhile, say the attitude of the public is affecting their morale. A police officer, stationed outside the Mehrauli road branch of the State Bank of India, said: ``Such an attitude is demoralising. We are here to help but people don't want to trust us''.

The police have intensified patrolling and search operations in jhuggi clusters and have stepped up their vigil during banking hours. In addition, wireless-wielding cops have been deployed at all the entry-exit points in the city.

Says Arun Kumar, a resident of New Colony: ``The crime rate will come down if there is sufficient police presence on the roads. But for that they will have to increase their field work.'' A resident of Sector 17, Shailender pointed out that private security guards were not enough. Police patrolling, especially at night, was a better form of deterrence.