CM cautions police against being lenient towards criminals

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu cautioned police against adopting a lenient stance towards criminals, urging them to remain vigilant and proactive in their duties. Speaking at a virtual meeting with police officers, Naidu emphasized the importance of constant evolution in police methods, integration of advanced technology, and a strong focus on the "golden hour" immediately following a crime.

He stressed the significance of preserving evidence at the crime scene and acting swiftly in order to achieve successful investigations. Nearly 1,650 officers from over 1,200 police stations participated in the meeting, including personnel from various departments such as law and order, traffic, and GRP. Naidu highlighted the State's integration of 14,770 government CCTV cameras with privately installed cameras, resulting in a network of approximately one lakh cameras.

He also mentioned the growing use of facial recognition and DNA-based detection techniques in investigations. The Chief Minister called for zero tolerance towards crimes against women and urged the police to secure crime scenes promptly. He criticized the lapses in the Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy murder case, describing it as a "costly mistake" and cautioned against any leniency towards criminals.

Naidu addressed recent incidents involving political rallies, questioning the need for motorcycle stunts on public roads during such events and criticized police personnel who were attacked while performing their duties. He cautioned that any lapse in maintaining law and order would tarnish the entire police system. He emphasized that political parties were not permitted to violate the law or cause public inconvenience, regardless of the party affiliation.

Naidu alleged that 94% of those creating disturbances on roads belonged to one particular party, but clarified that visiting people to offer condolences was not wrong, but large-scale road demonstrations during such visits caused significant inconvenience. He promised the government would grant police personnel complete freedom to carry out their duties and improve their dignity and respect.

Naidu advocated for an "invisible police, visible policing" approach to bolster public confidence and directed the police to intensify action against ganja, drugs, and social media-driven criminal activity. He also called for wider promotion of the "Drugs Vaddhu Bro" campaign. Naidu expressed his desire for Andhra Pradesh to become the best State in law and order, with police publicizing successful investigations, improving conviction rates, and implementing friendly policing.

He directed the department to release a monthly police performance report, highlighting best practices and successful cases. Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, Deputy Inspector General Harish Kumar Gupta, and other senior officials attended the meeting.