ROURKELA: The Rourkela Police District (RPD) recorded a significant decline in property offences and improved detection rates in 2025.
Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani said major property offences such as dacoity, robbery and snatching declined by nearly 70 per cent in 2025 compared to the previous year. Others crimes including burglary and motor vehicle theft fell by around 20 per cent.
The SP attributed the improvement largely to the introduction of beat patrolling over the last six months of 2025, monitored through the e-Beat app. A total of 460 property offenders were arrested during the year. The overall detection rate in property offences improved from 32 per cent to 52 per cent, with an 85 per cent detection rate in dacoity cases and 61 per cent in robbery cases.
He said detection in serious and sensitive cases remained a priority, with timely arrests, recoveries and filing of chargesheets. Crimes against women and children were dealt with zero tolerance, ensuring prompt registration of cases, sensitive investigation and effective follow-up. Crime against women registered a decline of 25 per cent in 2025, Wadhwani said.
Cybercrime reporting and detection also improved due to enhanced technical investigation and public awareness drives. Recovery of defrauded amounts and identification of repeat offenders saw a marked rise. With the arrest of 65 cybercriminals from different states, Rourkela police claimed one of the highest cybercrime arrest figures in the state, the SP said.
Special operations led to the arrest of 62 persons under the NDPS Act and 118 persons under the Arms Act, contributing to the reduction of property and violent crimes. More than 120 cases were registered against illegal sand mining during the year.
Technology-led policing remained a key focus, with effective use of CCTV cameras, ANPR systems, digital forensics and real-time monitoring. Data-driven deployment and crime mapping helped prevent offences and improve response time.
The SP said the introduction of several pioneering initiatives, including Anusandhan (online FIR status tracking), e-Beat patrolling and SHIELD (Strategic Habitual Offender Identification and Early Law Enforcement and Detection), had a positive impact on the overall crime scenario in the district.