2022 crime data: Hyderabad third safest city in India, 48 per cent spike in cybercrimes

Hyderabad: In the first such attempt since the formation of the state, a book titled ‘Crime in Telangana-2022’ book was launched on Tuesday by Ravi Gupta IPS, DGP of Telangana State. As per data, Hyderabad emerged as the third safest city in India after Kolkata and Pune. The book was compiled under the supervision of Mahesh M Bhagwat IPS, additional DGP CID.

The State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) was established under the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to serve as an official repository of crime-related information. Over the years, SCRB has played a crucial role in assisting the investigation in linking the crime to its perpetrators. Maintenance of crime statistics is one of the main charter duties of the SCRB.

Discussing the book and its merits at the launch, the officials said that such books help law enforcement authorities in crafting effective strategies for crime prevention and serve as a catalyst for informed discussions and debates on matters of public safety.

They commended the commitment to transparency and the proactive sharing of crime statistics as they empower various stakeholders, including policymakers, administrator researchers, media, NGOs, and the general public, to contribute meaningfully to the discourse on crime and safety.

Drastic rise of cybercrime

According to the data in the book, compared to 2021, in 2022, cybercrime has increased by 48.47 per cent, economic offences have increased by 41.37 per cent and crimes relating to cheating have increased by 43.30 per cent. The focus of the general public and officials is on property offences and crimes against women, with the Telangana police paying special attention to investigation and prosecution.

The police have put special emphasis on the optimum utilisation of scientific tools, forensic science, and cyber technology and ensure high-quality digital evidence to secure more convictions in the year 2022.

Top surveillance

The data in the book stated that with the installation of 1,74,205 CCTV cameras during 2022, the total number of CCTV cameras functioning in Telangana State has now increased to 10,25,849 and due to that 18,234 cases were detected during 2022.

Conventional crime is dominated by cybercrime and white-collar offences. Further, in 2022, as per NCRB’s Crime in India 2022 report, Hyderabad ranked third among the safest cities in India, after Kolkata and Pune with the least number of cognizable offences per lakh population.