Eluru: District police launched ‘Project restore,’ a citizen-centric policing initiative aimed at returning property recovered from criminals to its rightful owners in a timely, respectful, and transparent manner.

As part of the initiative, they recovered property worth Rs 2,93,60,000 benefiting 729 victims across the district. The recovered assets included 1020 grams of gold ornaments, Rs 1,32,00,000 in cash, 30 two-wheelers, two four-wheelers, 647 mobile phones, and other valuables, all of which had been recovered during the course of criminal investigations.

While recovery of stolen property is an integral part of policing, Eluru police emphasised that justice is truly complete only when recovered property reaches the hands of the victim. ‘Project restore’ has been conceptualised to bridge this final gap in the criminal justice process by reducing delays, procedural hardship, and repeated visits by victims to police stations and courts.

A key objective of the initiative is to restore public faith in policing by demonstrating empathy, accountability, and proactive service delivery. Under ‘Project restore’, police personnel proactively contacted victims, completed necessary verification, and ensured lawful handover of recovered property, often at or near the victim’s place of residence.

By conducting the initiative simultaneously across the district on a single day, Eluru police also sought to create large-scale public awareness regarding common crime patterns, local modus operandi of offenders, and practical precautions citizens can adopt to protect themselves from theft, fraud, and cheating. Such visible, collective action not only reassures victims but also instils confidence among residents of the entire neighbourhood, reinforcing a sense of safety and trust in local policing.

Importantly, ‘Project restore’ is expected to encourage greater civic responsibility and cooperation with the criminal justice system. By experiencing responsive and humane policing, victims and citizens are more likely to come forward, assist investigations, and actively participate in court proceedings by giving evidence without hesitation, thereby contributing to improved conviction rates and effective incarceration of offenders.

The initiative further provided police personnel an opportunity to gain a human perspective on the real impact of crime, as officers directly interacted with victims and understood the social, emotional, and economic value of the restored property. Superintendent of Police Kishore Kommi has announced that ‘Project restore’ will be institutionalised as a regular activity, with periodic drives to ensure that recovered property is returned to rightful owners at the earliest possible stage, in strict accordance with law.

Through ‘Project restore’, Eluru police reiterates its commitment to citizen-first policing, grounded in the principle that policing does not end with detection or recovery, but is fulfilled only when trust is restored, cooperation is strengthened, and justice is delivered in full.