Visible policing key to public trust: DGP

Hyderabad: Director General of Police (DGP) Dr Jitender on Monday called on the police force to focus on winning public trust and confidence through visible policing and quality service. He was addressing senior officers during the half-yearly crime review meeting at the DGP office in Hyderabad.

Senior officials including DG (intelligence) B. Shivadhar Reddy, DG (CID) Shikha Goel, all additional DGPs, inspector generals, commissioners, superintendents of police and other police personnel were present during the review.

In his address, the DGP emphasised that dedicated service and citizen engagement were key to building strong police-public relations. He urged officers to step up visible policing to ensure public safety and directed them to actively interact with citizens. Women officers were asked to promote awareness of self-development and empowerment among women.

Highlighting the need for improving conviction rates, Jitender stressed the importance of high-quality investigations. He instructed officers to use the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) more effectively. Addressing the complexity of distinguishing between civil and financial disputes, the DGP advised officers to approach cases with sensitivity and ensure fair and timely justice for victims.

During the meeting, Shikha Goel shared the crime statistics for the second half of 2024, noting a 4.9 per cent decrease in overall crime compared to the first half. She pointed out that all major crimes except burglaries had come down. The detection rate rose from 57 per cent in 2023 to 76 per cent in 2024. She also reported a 20.49 per cent increase in the disposal of under-investigation (UI) cases.

Box: Presentations were made by several officers on various policing aspects:

• Sudheer Babu, Rachakonda commissioner, presented initiatives on visible policing.
• Amber Kishore Jha, Ramagundam commissioner shared strategies to improve conviction rates.
• Sunil Datt, Khammam commissioner, focused on measures to improve the quality of investigation.
• Dr Krupakar Singh, head of forensic medicine, Gandhi Hospital, made a presentation on post-mortem protocols and forensic reporting.
• Shubham, ASP, explained efforts to boost case disposal rates.
• Swetha Reddy, DCP, CCS, presented on tackling long-pending cases.
• Vijay Kumar, DCP, west zone, gave a presentation on cyber crime trends.
• Dr Praneeth, DCP, Madhapur, shared insights from the investigation of a recent murder case in his jurisdiction.