AP CM Chandrababu Calls for Significant Changes in State police dept.

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has emphasized the need for visible changes in policing across the state. He stated that the police department should create an environment where the fear of punishment deters criminal activity. While capturing and convicting criminals post-crime is one aspect of law enforcement, the CM stressed the importance of instilling a fear of committing crimes in the first place. He requested the police department to provide assurance to the public regarding their safety and expressed a desire for Andhra Pradesh to regain its status as a peaceful state with robust law and order.

During a review meeting on the Home Department, the Chief Minister directed that any form of chaos or lawlessness disguised under political motives should be dealt with severely. He instructed officials to produce tangible results in terms of maintaining public safety, investigating crimes, and penalizing offenders.

In the review meeting held at the Secretariat, officials reported on the state of the police department over the past ten years. They highlighted a 46% increase in crime rates from 2019 to 2024 compared to 2014-2019. Specifically, incidents of crimes against women surged by 35.91%, missing women cases increased by 84.83%, and cybercrimes escalated by 134.43% during the same period. Cases involving ganja (marijuana) and drugs saw a rise of 107.89%, while crimes against children skyrocketed by 151.88%. Officials provided a PowerPoint presentation illustrating how the police department had been rendered ineffective during the previous government's tenure, noting the failure to release essential financial resources for various departmental needs.

The officials revealed police department currently possesses 143 drones, with only 88 operational. Of the 1,250 body-worn cameras, just 444 are functional. In the locked house monitoring system, only 317 of 1,180 cameras are operational, and out of 14,712 CCTV cameras across various locations in the state, 2,371 are non-functional. The Automated Fingerprint Identification System also remains idle.

In response, the Chief Minister announced that all necessary measures would be taken to reinvigorate the police department. He confirmed the immediate release of ₹10 crore for overdue equipment maintenance and ₹11 crore for pending bills related to the installation of CCTV cameras. Additionally, he approved ₹61 crore for modernizing the police force. The Chief Minister criticized the previous government for using police for political suppression instead of enhancing their operational capacity. He expressed astonishment that the department failed to pay annual maintenance charges for crucial investigative equipment like fingerprint analyzers.

Naidu insisted on visible changes at all levels of the police department, from state-level officials down to sub-inspectors. He emphasized the need for strict actions against violence directed towards women, stating that it should be made clear to criminals that any attack on women would result in severe consequences. He pointed out that the previous government's policies led to a significant increase in ganja cultivation, distribution, and use in the state and called for drones to identify and eliminate such crops.

The Chief Minister announced plans for rallies against ganja and drugs in 26 districts next month, where he also intends to participate. He highlighted the necessity of educating the public about drug-related issues and reiterated that there would be zero tolerance for delays in crime investigations. If police fail to respond promptly to crime scenes, he promised to personally oversee some investigations.

Naidu also called for expert consultations to combat cybercrime and suggested establishing a cyber police station in every district. He agreed to restore the method of assigning specific investigative responsibilities to officers, a practice initiated during his previous tenure as Chief Minister. The Chief Minister instructed officials to expedite the processing of necessary funds from the central government for various police initiatives.

During the meeting, officials revealed that the previous government diverted funds meant for disaster management and failed to release the state's 25% share. Surprised by this revelation, the Chief Minister expressed that such actions were tantamount to criminal behavior. He urged for the effective implementation of disaster preparedness measures to alert citizens during severe weather conditions, a system previously established during Telugu Desam governance.

Naidu concluded that relevant departments must act promptly and coordinate effectively during disasters to ensure timely assistance and access to central funding for affected populations.