Crime Rate Drops in State: AP Home Minister

Vijayawada: Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha has claimed that the crime rate in Andhra Pradesh has come down during the past five months of the alliance government. The minister was replying to questions in the Legislative Council on Monday from members Varudu Kalyani, Mondikota Aruna Kumar and Chandragiri Yesuratnam.

Vanitha came up with a comparison of the present and previous years’ figures. The number of cases booked in the first TD term 2014-19 was 83,202. Under the YSR Congress term, 1,00,508 cases were booked between 2019-24, showing a 20.8 per cent rise in the number of cases.

In 2023-22, some 418 cases were booked while in 2024, 650 cases were booked. The crime rate has come down in the state after the TD-led government took charge in June last, she claimed.

The present government, she said, took several steps to control crime and these include: establishment of Mahila Police Stations in all 26 districts, setting up of Women Help Desks, strengthening of police patrolling teams, closer inter-departmental coordination and activation of cyber crime teams.

The other steps were strengthening of surveillance, spreading awareness among the public on crimes against women, formation of anti-human trafficking units, speedy trials of heinous crime against women and children and cases related to child pornography and child sexual abuse, she said.

Vanitha said that with regard to child pornography and child sexual abuse, as many as 7,393 case were reported from June to October. As many as 12,115 accused were arrested and notices served on the accused.