Crime rate in state has come down, says Tamil Nadu CM

Chennai: The crime rate in Tamil Nadu is significantly lower in comparison to the rest of the country, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, said Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in the assembly on Wednesday.

DMK working president M.K. Stalin had claimed that crime rate in Tamil Nadu, especially against women, has increased in the years that the AIADMK has been in power even though the state won accolades from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for being a safe state.

Tamil Nadu crime records in the last decade — (National Crime Records Bureau data)

The CM said that the latest NCRB data shows that Tamil Nadu's average crime rate, which is 17 percent, is considerably lower in comparison to the national average of 33 per cent. In fact, of the 19 cities in India that have a population of over 20 lakhs, Coimbatore has been ranked the safest for women and among metro cities, he said.

Data from the NCRB showed a dip in crimes including caste and communal violence, rape and harassment in the state. The CM also added that the percentage of solved crimes related to property theft had improved between the years 2011 and 2017. The police have solved 72 per cent of registered crimes and 67 per cent of stolen property had been recovered, he said while comparing the current data to that during the DMK period between 2006 and 2010 when only 68 per cent of registered crimes were resolved.

“The AIADMK government has obtained a solution in the Cauvery water issue and other long-term problems in Tamil Nadu. Since there is no means to criticise the government, some vested interests are trying to project in the media that there is a law and order issue,” Palaniswami said. Crediting the efficient police force in the state for the decrease in crime rates, the CM said that the RS Puram Police Station in Coimbatore has been ranked the Number 1 police station in the country. The Anna Nagar K4 police station in Chennai is in the 5th position.

Arokia Ravindran, ACP, Adyar police station attributes it to better policing. “We have doubled patrolling, especially around educational institutions and residential areas. The all-women’s police stations have increased their efficiency and help in maintaining order,” he said.

 Activists, however, claim that the data does not reflect reality. “Cases of assault, especially in the capital Chennai have been the worst in the last few months,” says Anandhi Shanmugham, a research scholar in the city. Reluctance to register cases and resorting to moral policing could also be a reason for the decline, she believes. She also pointed out that since these data do not include Community Service Register (CSR) cases, where records of non-cognisable offences are recorded and court orders are necessary, a true picture could only emerge if they are also included.