Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday sent out a strong political and administrative message on law and order, declaring “zero tolerance” for crime and warning that the State would no longer allow rowdyism, political interference or public disorder to take root.

Reviewing the law and order situation during the Collectors’ Conference, the Chief Minister made it clear that maintaining public safety was not a routine administrative exercise but a core responsibility of governance. “These reviews are not for formality. We will be serious about law and order,” he said, directing district collectors and superintendents of police to act firmly and without hesitation.

Naidu instructed officials to identify professional and habitual rowdies in every district and warned that those who failed to reform would be banished from the State under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act. “Rowdies should not be allowed to exist in the State. Only strict action will bring the situation under control,” he said, adding that anyone attempting to disrupt peace would be sent out of Andhra Pradesh.

Referring to incidents in Nellore, the Chief Minister expressed shock over reports of ganja trade, violent crimes and vulgar activities, remarking that such scenes “belong in movies, not in real life.”

He stressed that there was no place for crimes against women or organised rowdyism and said fear of the law must be instilled among offenders. At the same time, he cautioned the police against troubling citizens, directing them not to impose traffic challans indiscriminately or harass the public.

Naidu called for intensified patrolling in sensitive villages, strict vigilance over financial crimes, and the establishment of cyber crime police stations in all districts. He ordered immediate procurement of boats for coastal security, expanded use of drones integrated with the RTGS system, and forensic operations aligned with national standards. Emergency response teams, he said, must reach victims within 15 minutes, while every road accident should be reviewed and black spots rectified.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan underlined that strong law and order was essential to achieve a 15 per cent growth rate. He voiced concern over instances where police allegedly failed to act despite complaints, particularly in Visakhapatnam, and warned against indifference towards crimes that disrupt public life.

Presenting official data, director general of police Harish Gupta said overall crime in the State had declined by 5.5 per cent year-on-year, with a sharp reduction in riots, crimes against SCs and STs, and offences against women. He said technology-driven surveillance, including large-scale CCTV integration, was delivering results, with a 10,000-camera monitoring dashboard being set up in Vijayawada.