Statistics show that homicide is on the decline, but this year has seen an increase in dowry deaths, rapes, drug peddling, and cyber crimes.
The police department boasts of a decline in the number of murders in city.
Statistics show that homicide is on the decline; the number of murders has come down from 132 in 2010 to 119 in 2011.
However, this statistic is unable to instill feelings of safety among the people. This new-found fear can be attributed to the fact that an alarming number of murders has taken place in broad day-light this year.
Further, this year, we have seen an increase in dowry deaths, rapes, drug peddling, and cyber crimes.
The number of rape cases and dowry deaths has risen from the previous year.
However, the police have been occupied with bandobust duties, which have increased in the wake of the Sakala Janula Samme and other agitations.
According to the figures released by Commissioner A K Khan, in Hyderabad on Thursday, the number of crimes reported this year stands at 14,718, which is less than the 16,703 crimes reported last year.
The police data shows a marginal decrease in all crimes and an increase in the recovery percentages from 38.57% last year to 42.84% this year.
Commissioner Khan stated that murders, thefts, kidnappings and embezzlements have been on the decline in direct correlation to the effective policing of the department.
Further, he added that there was also a decline in the crime against women, and that in an effort to minimize domestic violence, 3 more women police stations would be created in the Central, East and West zones.
However, the data speaks a different truth.
The number of dowry deaths has increased from 28 in the previous year to 30 this year, while the number of rape cases is up from 43 to 56.
Reports of sexual harrasment have fallen from 1,455 to 1,314, cases involing the abetment to commit suicide have dropped from 41 to 34.
All in all, the total number of the 2 types of cases have fallen from 1,779 to 1,623.
In an effort to curtail drug peddling, 11 cases were booked for drugs and 41 arrests were made, including the arrests of 20 foreign nationals.
Cyber crime went up from 53 to 68 this year, and chain snatchings went up from 851 to 884.
According to the Commissioner, the police department is moving from UHF communication mode to the Tretra Communication network.
Traffic police continue to hog the limelight with their challans, as the amount of fines collected was a grand total of Rs. 22.25 crores, which is an increase from the amount collected the previous year, which was Rs. 17.81 crores.
The e-challans figure has also increased 2-fold, from RS. 6.82 crores to Rs. 11.52 crores.
On a positive note, the number of accidents has gone down from 2,797 accidents to 2,621 accidents, and the number of motor vehicle fatalities has decreased to 430 from 494 last year.
The drunken-driving cases booked from November were 1,356 in which 656 cases involved people in the age group of 20-29, followed by 442 cases which were booked invoving people in the age group of 30 to 39. Senior citizens were involved in 7 cases.
Overall, the task force has done a good job in investigating and other policing work, Khan said. (INN)