The family size of the criminals given in table 5.3, shows that about 83% of the criminals had more than 4 persons in their family. 49% out of 83% of the criminals had 4 to 6 persons (Table 1 & Figure 2).

Nearly, 34% of the criminals had more than 6 persons in their family. Only 14% and 3% of the criminals were with 2 to 4 persons in their family. The large size of the family with unemployment and poverty was the core explanation for the criminals committing more crimes in the city.

Figure 2

Both male and female offenders were arrested in the year 2016. The male offenders were much more than female offenders in the city (Table 2 & Figure 3).

Nearly 96% of the total criminals were male and only 4% were female who were mostly involved in snatching or theft in buses and isolated places. Most of the female offenders were house servants who committed theft in their masters’ houses.

The age structure of criminals shows that 52% of the criminals were in the age group of 20-30 years. As per table 5.5, 16% of the criminals were in the age group of less than 20 years, who were mostly youth. Nearly 32% of the criminals were in the age group of above 30 years, and they were mostly unemployed men and women who involved in housebreaking and thefts in the city (Table 3 & Figure 4).

The religion of the criminals (Table 4 & Figure 5) reveals that 79.5% of the criminals were Hindus, 15.5% Muslims and 5% Christians. It depends on the populations of the city too.

Figure 5

The educational level determines the standard of living and economic status of the people.

Nearly, 83% of the criminals had education up to Class 12 and only 7% of them were graduation level. Only 10% of the criminals were illiterate (Table 5 and Figure 6). This low literacy level among the criminals was also the core cause of various crimes in the city.

Table 5

Sl.No	Educational Level	Number	Percentage (%)
1	Illiterates	70	10
2	Upto V Std	106	15
3	V – X Std	316	45
4	X – XII Std	162	23
5	Graduates	49	7
Total		703	100

Source: Compiled by the Investigator

Figure 6

The occupational structure of criminals reveals that most of them were coolies and thieves. Nearly, 25% of the criminals were coolies, who took on loading and unloading of commodities in commercial areas and were involved in house constructional works. About 19% of the criminals, had theft as their main occupation in the city.

Almost 17% worked as labourers in workshops and as goldsmiths. About 13% of offenders were drivers, who worked in houses, companies and schools. Only 6% of the criminals were students and most of them were undergraduates. 20% of the criminals were salespersons, house servants and businesspersons. Joblessness and low income were the core causes of the crimes in the commercial and residential areas of the city (Table 6 and Figure 7).

The years of experience in criminal activity varies from 1 to more than 5 years. About 50% of the criminals had involved in criminal activities from 2 to 4 years (Table 7).

Figure 8

About 43% of the criminals had more than 5 years and only 7% had less than 1 year of experience in various crimes in the city. Most of them were students who studied in the colleges and worked as helpers, in shops and houses (Figure 8).

The offenders were grouped on the types of crimes committed. In total, 703 crimes were reported and detected during the year 2016. Out of this, nearly 50.4% were thieves and automobile thieves. About 19.5% were cheaters and housebreakers, 15.2% crime against women offenders while 9.7% were involved in dacoity, robbery and snatching. Nearly, 3.1% were fraudsters and kidnappers and only 2.1% were murderers (Table 8 and Figure 9).

About 54 % of criminals had committed crimes only to enjoy life by taking drugs and drinking. About 24% of the criminals had committed crimes because of low income and joblessness. About 17% of the criminals wanted to meet the family expenditure, the congested residential and commercial areas and the peer group influences were among the main reasons for the various criminal offences in the city. 2.7% of the criminals committed offences to take acts of vengeance from their enemies and only 2% of the criminals to repay the debt borrowed from various sources (Table 9 and Figure 10).

The socio-economic characteristics of criminals in the study area reveals that 83% of the criminals have more than 4 members in their family, 96% of male offenders, 84% of the criminals were in the age group of 20 years and above, 79.5% of Hindus involved in criminal activities, 83% of the criminals had education up to Class 12, 50% of the criminals were coolies, 22% were businesspersons, drivers and students, 50% of the criminals indulged in criminal activity for 2-4 years, 43% of thieves and automobile thieves were high,the motives of criminals were drinking, drug habits and thirst for leading a luxurious life with 54.3%. In addition to the above-stated problems, unemployment, poverty, family conditions and peer group were the main causes for the offenders to commit various crimes in the city.

Early childhood moral education with the co-operation of parents plays a vibrant and active role in the mental health development of children. Nothing would work better than counselling by social reformers and psychiatrists. If people are mentally corrected and morally improved, the occurrence of crimes will automatically be reduced, if not completely eradicated.