Community policing improves law & order; overall crime drops by 26%
Chittoor: Chittoor district saw a noticeable improvement in law and order in 2025, with police data showing a steep fall in overall crime.
The total number of registered cases dropped to 5,216 this year from 7,034 in 2024 — a reduction of 26 per cent. The figures were shared by District Superintendent of Police Tushar Dudi while releasing the annual crime report on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters, the SP said consistent community policing, preventive action and strong coordination with other government departments played a key role in keeping situations under control.
Increased police visibility and early intervention helped resolve sensitive issues without escalation, he added.
A closer look at crime categories revealed varied trends. Property-related offences dipped slightly, coming down from 480 cases last year to 466 in 2025. Bodily offences remained almost unchanged, with a marginal increase from 857 to 859 cases. Crimes against women showed a more encouraging trend, falling by over 12 per cent from 507 to 443 cases.
However, cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act rose from 46 to 56. On a positive note, cybercrime saw a sharp decline, with cases reducing from 32 to 19. Economic offences also fell, from 194 cases in 2024 to 152 this year.
Police performance in solving cases and recovering stolen property improved significantly. Of the 426 property offence cases reported in 2025, 207 were detected, pushing the detection rate to nearly 49 per cent. While losses were estimated at Rs 11.52 crore, recoveries stood at Rs 8.39 crore — a recovery rate of 73 per cent, up from 48 per cent the previous year.
Road safety remained a key focus area. The district recorded 762 road accidents in 2025, slightly higher than 751 last year. Despite this, fatal accidents reduced from 367 to 354, and the number of deaths fell from 402 to 381. Police booked 2,772 drunk-driving cases, each attracting a fine of Rs 10,000, leading to total collections of Rs 27.7 crore. The use of e-challans also increased significantly, with fines collected rising to Rs 2.31 crore.
As part of victim support efforts, police traced and returned 1,021 lost or stolen mobile phones worth about Rs 2.04 crore. In cyber fraud cases, Rs 68.44 lakh was recovered and refunded to victims.
On women and child safety, the SP said six Shakti Teams were actively working across the district. More than 220 awareness programmes on child safety, focusing on good touch and bad touch, were conducted during the year. He also highlighted the growing use of technology — including CCTV cameras, drones and command-and-control centres — which strengthened surveillance and response, contributing to the overall decline in crime during 2025.
