VIJAYAWADA: The State Police Department seems to be facing mounting pressure as personnel struggle to balance routine law-and-order responsibilities with an expanding list of government-driven enforcement priorities, raising concerns over operational stress, procedural lapses and accountability.
Since the TDP-led NDA assumed power in 2024, police forces across the State have been tasked with implementing a series of intensive campaigns, ranging from the crackdown on ganja smuggling and social media misinformation to investigations into alleged irregularities during the previous YSRCP regime.
While these initiatives remain key priorities to the government, they have also stretched police resources to the breaking point.
With large sections of the force diverted to special drives and investigations, many police wings and enforcement agencies are said to be functioning with severe staff shortages.
The relentless pressure to achieve law and order targets is taking a toll.
Criminal cases: 300 detained in 2 yrs
“Police work has effectively been split into two parts - professional policing and target-driven assignments from higher authorities. Balancing both has become increasingly difficult,” a senior police officer said on condition of anonymity.
Over the past two years, more than 300 accused involved in various criminal cases, including NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) offences, have been detained under preventive measures and lodged in prisons across the State.
In NTR district alone, over 50 accused facing multiple criminal charges, including narcotics cases, have been booked under preventive detention laws. Authorities have also invoked the PIT-NDPS Act against several drug offenders.
The government needs to focus on recruiting police in both sub-inspector and constable levels. “The preventive detention process is extremely lengthy. Despite handling regular law-and-order duties, officers are under constant pressure to meet targets. Failure to deliver can result in transfers to Vacancy Reserve or even suspension. On the other hand, the officers need to be provided with proper training and support to function on the lines of Central government guidelines,” another officer said.
The recent controversies surrounding the Krishna Lanka police station in Vijayawada have further intensified scrutiny. A custodial death case and another alleged suicide linked to claims of police harassment have sparked serious questions.
Manpower shortages in specialised agencies have compounded the gravity. AP CID, ACB and Vigilance & Enforcement Department are said to be functioning with less than 60 per cent of their sanctioned strength, further burdening existing personnel.