HYDERABAD: Stating that 2023 was an incident-free year with no major security breaches or public safety concerns, DGP Ravi Gupta on Friday said that the state saw an 8.97% increase in the overall crime rate compared to the previous year primarily due to the rising number of cybercrime cases.
Giving details of the law and order situation in 2023 at his office here, the DGP said that the police department would be focusing on cybercrime, NDPS cases, women and children safety and traffic management in the coming year.
“There was a 1% decline in fatal road accidents and a significant 60% decrease in grievous road accidents this year. This is attributed to the efforts in traffic management and road safety initiatives undertaken by the respective wings,” Ravi Gupta said. The DGP also highlighted the successes in counter-insurgency operations.
Highlighting the success of counterinsurgency operations, particularly Greyhounds and Octopus operations, the DGP said, “A total of 142 extremists, including high-ranking members were arrested, and 13 surrendered during the year. Additionally, 132 field operations — 124 in Telangana and eight inter-state — were conducted as part of the ongoing efforts to maintain peace and security in the region and there were no crucial or worrisome movements during the elections.”
There were three incidents of seizures of firearms, ammunition, explosives and cash. Counteractions against CPI (Maoist) resulted in two exchanges of fire, neutralising key members, he said.
Reiterating the words on the department’s logo, Ravi Gupta said, “Duty, Honour and Passion will drive us. This year has been hectic due to the Assembly polls which were smoothly conducted by various wings. We realise that people come to us in distress and we will be empathetic and responsive to all sections of the society. We shall ensure their issues are resolved within the ambit of law. As part of basic policing we shall be reaching the doorsteps of the citizens through community outreach, serving beats and patrol and prevention of crime shall be our focus points while improving the quality of investigation.”
Looking ahead to the coming year, the DGP outlined the department’s priorities for law enforcement, including a heightened focus on combating cybercrime, addressing NDPS cases, ensuring the safety of women and children and improving traffic management measures.
