Crime rate in Visakhapatnam increases in 2017

Visakhapatnam, apart from its scenic beauty, is also famous for its tranquil and relatively peaceful atmosphere. This image, however, has taken a beating by the latest statistics that have been revealed by the police. In a disheartening news, it has been reported that the crime rate against women and children in Visakhapatnam has gone up by 7.08% as compared to that in 2016. It has been learned that there have been 81 rape cases registered against women while there were 78 cases that were reported last year. Also, crimes against children, white collar crimes, house burglaries, and cybercrimes were on the rise.

Addressing the media, Deputy Commissioner of Police T Ravi Kumar Murthy said that as many as 997 crimes have been reported against women this year while the cases recorded in 2016 and 2015 amounted to 931 and 817 in 2015 respectively. He informed that 117 cases were registered against children and the department is adopting stringent actions in order to curb the same.

However, the DCP added that the number of road accidents has, however, gone down as compared to last year. The police claimed that owing to the efficient gathering of reports by the intelligence agencies, use of technology, and other concerted efforts, the law and order were under control in Visakhapatnam.

Citizen’s voice

It is a known fact that in October, a man by the name Shiva raped a woman in broad daylight and no onlooker went to the woman’s rescue. Also, the cyber crimes, which have been mainly targetting the city’s youngsters, are causing severe worries to the citizens.

While speaking to Yo! Vizag, Rajeswara Rao, a retired bank employee from Visakhapatnam, said, “I have been a resident of Visakhapatnam for the past 35 years and it is extremely sad to know that the crime rate has been going up in the city. While the police are trying their best to maintain law and order in the city, I hope citizens too stay vigil and alert in order to prevent these crimes upto some extent.”