Tirupati: Tirupati police are reaping major gains from the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), which has emerged as a game-changer in crime detection by helping track repeat offenders and swiftly crack cases. Superintendent of Police V Harshavardhan Raju said the initiative of collecting fingerprints of suspected strangers moving on city streets especially during nights has already shown promising results in strengthening law and order.

Explaining how the system works, the SP said that AFIS digitally captures, stores, searches and compares fingerprint data, making it easier to connect suspects to past crimes. “So far, police have identified 11,618 persons moving on roads at odd hours and collected the fingerprints of 7,288 of them. This has helped us identify repeat offenders and crack several cases,” he said.

Citing a recent example, he noted that during the Ganga Jatara celebrations in Tirupati, only one complaint was registered and it was solved within hours with the help of the fingerprint database. Between January 24 and July 30 this year, the district reported 638 theft cases, of which 333 were detected – a detection rate of 52.19 per cent, up from 50.09 per cent in 2024. Out of property worth Rs 6.97 crore reported lost, police managed to recover assets worth Rs 3.26 crore (46.87 per cent).

The SP said surveillance has been intensified with the use of drones. Of the 12 drones available in the district, nearly 10 are currently deployed in Tirupati to curb open drinking, check anti-social activities, and monitor traffic violations.

They are also being used to tackle the menace of bike racing, which endangers the public, and to prevent mid-road birthday celebrations. Strengthening this further, four new police outposts have been set up within city limits over the past seven months, and 125 CCTV cameras have been installed in the Jeevakona area alone, a locality once known for frequent incidents.

To ease tensions between auto drivers and pilgrims, police have rolled out digital QR code stickers for autorickshaws. More than 3,500 of the city’s 8,000 autos have already been fitted with these stickers. By scanning the code, passengers can access driver details and, if required, lodge complaints through the app. Complaints go directly to the police command control centre for quick action.

SP Raju stressed the importance of ‘visible policing’ at bus and railway stations. Police teams are now stationed there round the clock to reassure passengers. A meeting involving all stakeholders will be convened soon to address the issue of auto fares, with the aim of fixing tariffs and preventing disputes.

The SP also revealed that 171 out of 212 homestays in Tirupati have been brought under the City Visitors Information and Record Management System (CVIRMS). The remaining will be linked shortly. This digital platform streamlines visitor registration, check-ins and check-outs, enhancing both safety and transparency.