Latest revision as of 17:56, 17 September 2022

[edit] Trends, year-wise

[edit] 1995-2015, fall in violent crime

1995- 2015: as India’s per capita GDP rose 400%, the murder/ violent crime rate fell; The Times of India, March 9, 2017

See graphic:

1995- 2015: as India’s per capita GDP rose 400%, the murder/ violent crime rate fell

[edit] 2011-16, thefts

Thefts, every day, 2011-16; The Times of India, May 19, 2017

See graphic:

Thefts, every day, 2011-16

[edit] 2011-15, snatchings

‘Snatchings’ in Delhi: 2011-15; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, June 5, 2016

See graphic:

‘Snatchings’ in Delhi: 2011-15

[edit] 2012-17, crime in numbers

Rajshekhar Jha, December 16, 2017: The Times of India

See graphic:

i.) Crime in numbers, Delhi, 2012-17;
ii.) Steps taken by Delhi police for women's safety

i.) Crime in numbers, Delhi, 2012-17;
ii.) Steps taken by Delhi police for women's safety
From: Rajshekhar Jha, December 16, 2017: The Times of India

Five years ago, a 23-year-old paramedic student was raped and brutalised in a moving bus in south Delhi. The chilling December 16 event was a turning point for law enforcement in the capital. Delhi Police underwent an overhaul at the grass-roots level, and the effort to make the city safer for women is paying off.

In 2017, 1,968 cases of rape and 3,146 cases of molestation were lodged till November 30 against 1,992 rape cases in the same period last year (2,155 in the whole year) and 3,914 of molestation (4,165). The slide in the figures has come despite mandatory, free and easy registration of cases, so much so that police file FIRs even for complaints received on email. Till date, 2,174 people have been arrested on rape charges and 3,373 people for molestation.

The cops attribute the decline to a slew of measures taken by police commissioner Amulya Patnaik. “From setting up dedicated anti-stalking cells to initiatives like Sashakti for self-defence of women and Himmat app for easy access to us, Delhi Police has given top priority to women safety,” said the force’s chief spokesperson, Dependra Pathak.

DCP Madhur Verma added, “No jurisdictional dispute is allowed to delay police response to a complaint. Immediate action is taken by the officer on receipt of a complaint to apprehend the accused and to provide medical assistance to the survivor. Apart from attending to emergencies, staff on the 10 lines of 1091helpline also provides counselling.”

After December 16, 2012, policing “changed for the good,” said a senior cop who investigated that disturbing case. The case also led to the amendment of rape laws as recommended by the Justice JS Verma Committee set up after the incident. The amended laws ensured that cops felt duty-bound to assist rape survivors, beginning with the immediate registration of an FIR on receiving a complaint. Women can now also file complaints online — a slew of cases has already been registered based on email sent to police. They can also seek legal help from the police crisis cells. The growing awareness about legal remedies has resulted in more women reporting gender crimes.

The Verma Commission, after scanning 80,000 submissions from people in India and abroad, recognised the need to punish rape, molestation and other sexual offences such as voyeurism with imprisonment up to seven years. Stalking or unwanted attempts to contact a person repeatedly was made liable to three years’ imprisonment.

As for stalking, DCP Verma said that all distress calls related to stalking are diverted to a special anti-stalking group in the 24x7 central police control room. “From there, the staff calls the abusing number and deals with the aggressor in an effective manner, as demanded by most complainants. The cases are referred to the local police in real time through the cyber highway network,” Verma elaborated.

Besides deploying all-women PCRs at several locations, police also post male and female cops in plainclothes outside school and colleges when classes begin and end. There is special patrolling of the risk-prone routes taken by women returning from entertainment hubs and malls. To help them defend themselves, police facilitated self-defence training for 1,56,190 girls in 2017.

“The civic agencies are regularly being informed about poorly lit stretches of roads,” DCP Verma said, adding that 8,293 police personnel were given gender sensitisation training. The officer also disclosed that Operation Shishtachar — in which youths caught misbehaving with women undergo counselling by religious preachers and psychologists — had proved effective in reining in eve teasers.

[edit] 2013-14, cases solved

Delhi, 2013 and 2014: crime, cases solved and law and order, The Times of India

Delhi,crime: 2011- 2014, The Times of India

See graphic:

Delhi, 2013 and 2014: crime, cases solved and law and order

Delhi,crime: 2011- 2014

[edit] 2013> 2017, 2018 Jan-Sept

Major crimes down 25-70% in Delhi this year, claim cops, October 21, 2018: The Times of India

Crime in Delhi, 2013> 2017, 2018 Jan-Sept- A
From: Major crimes down 25-70% in Delhi this year, claim cops, October 21, 2018: The Times of India

Crime in Delhi, 2013> 2017, 2018 Jan-Sept: B
From: Major crimes down 25-70% in Delhi this year, claim cops, October 21, 2018: The Times of India

The crime situation in the capital appears to be well under control. At least, the numbers say so.

The crime data released by the Delhi Police shows a major dip in all major crimes till September 30 as compared to corresponding figures last year.

Not just that, many crimes, which had witnessed a constant rise in the last five years, have also gone down.

According to the police data, 1,639 cases of rape were registered till September 30 in 2018 as compared to 1,673 rapes last year in the corresponding period; 2,535 cases of molestation were reported against 2,610 cases in 2017.

Similarly, 357 murders were reported this year against 385 murders till September 30 last year; 487 murders were reported between January and December in 2017.

Cases of robberies and snatching on the roads of the capital have seen a huge dip from last year. From 6,772 snatching in 2017, only 5,034 cases have been reported this year. The corresponding figures in cases of robbery are 2,230 and 1,852.

550 less heinous crimes in capital than last year

Cases of burglary — which have always seen a rise since several years — have also dipped. From 14,307 cases in 2016, the numbers came down to 9,819 cases in 2017. This year, only 3,090 cases have been reported till September 30. Last year, the number was 8,327 cases in the corresponding time period. The police have not clarified whether the data released by them includes the e-FIRs or the crimes being registered online.

Vehicle thefts are only registered online at a virtual police station, which doesn’t exist in reality. As a result, this crime has gone up substantially over the years. From 20,449 cases till September 30 last year, 33,273 cases have been reported in 2018. This indicates that around 125 vehicles are being stolen every day.

Fatal accidents are on the rise as well. From 1,087 cases last year, 1,136 cases have been reported this year. Fatalities have risen by at least 10 per cent. Kidnappings of ransom have gone north too. From 15 cases last year, 17 cases have been reported till September 30 this year.

In an encouraging development, 4,295 heinous crimes have been reported this year against 4,853 cases last year till September 30. In 2014, this figure was 10,266 and 11,187 in 2015. It came down to 8,238 in 2016 and 6,527 in 2017.

[edit] 2015: Jan-May: dip in heinous crimes

Cases reported: 2014-2015; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India,Jun 07 2015

The Times of India, Jun 07 2015

Raj Shekhar

Capital witnesses dip in murders and dacoities

In a shift from the last five years' trend, Delhi has witnessed a dip in heinous crimes this year. Murders, rioting and dacoities--prime indicators of the law and order situation in a city--have plunged in the first five months of 2015. Delhi Police's half-yearly data reveals that murders have dipped by 3.83%. There were 226 murders in 2015 as compared to 235 cases in 2014 in the same period. Cases of rioting and non-communal violence between two groups of people have come down by 12%.

“There were 50 cases reported in 2015 whereas the count in the same time period (January 1-May 31) was 57.Cases of dacoity , too, have come down by 12.2%. There were 41 cases reported last year but the number this year is 36,“ special commissioner (law and order) Deepak Mishra said.

In 2015, fewer cases of police murders have also been reported. However, scuffles of the general public with policemen have increased this year. Free registration of street crime has led to increase in FIRs filed in cases of snatching and robberies.The snatching cases have ris en from 3,093 to 3,838 while robberies have risen from 2,068 to 2,870. From 12 cases reported till May 31 in 2014, kidnapping cases this year have gone up to 17.

Thefts and burglaries have seen an increase of 38% as police registered 5,250 cases from last year's 3,784 cases. Rape cases have come down by 0.12% as Delhi registered 1 fewer case than last year. This year, 820 cases have been registered till May 31.However, molestation cases have seen an increase from 1,590 to 1,947.

Analysis of heinous crimes suggests that sudden provocation was the leading reason for murders, accounting for about 21% of the killings. About 11% of murders were related to sex, 16% were murdered in enmity while 9% were killed in money-related matters, sources said.Property disputes, police claimed, caused 3% of murders. Crime-related murders were 8% of the total while 10% were due to family disputes. Unidentified dead bodies constituted 10% of the murders. The total number of IPC cases registered till May 31 has shot up from 58,936 to 73,198.

[edit] Heinous crimes, in detail

The Times of India Jan 05 2016

Anvit Srivastava

With 1,82,644 FIRs in 2015, as against 1,47,237 in 2014, Delhi last year witnessed a 24.05% increase in heinous crimes like robberies, rapes, attempt to murders and break-ins. Police record showed that 49,892 cases were solved.

Police attributed the increase in the number of cases to the “truthful registration“ of crime. A total of 7,192 cases of robbery , 541 cases of murder, 750 cases of attempt to murder, 73 cases of dacoity, 2,095 cases of rape, and 36 cases of kidnapping for ransom were reported last year. Police solved 3,367 robbery , 64 dacoity, and 415 murder cases.However, some of the grueso me cases, including the murder of two women whose bodies were found in northeast Delhi, remained unsolved.

An analysis of the motives behind the murders throughout the year showed that 16.64% of the cases were due to sudden provocation or trivial issues, 18.67% due to old enmity, 9.61% related to sexual indulgences, 13.49% due to differences among family members, and 9.61% as a result of disputes over property and money . Only 9.43% of the murders were crime related.

According to the record, 41% of the murders were committed using sharp-edged weapons, while in 18% of the cases, blunt objects were used.Strangling was recorded in 16% of the total murders, and in 13%, firearms were used.

[edit] 2015: Safest year since 2005

The Times of India Jan 05 2016

Crime in Delhi in 2015, compared with 2014; Crime in Delhi 2010- 2015; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India Jan 5 2016

Somreet Bhattacharya

The vehicle count increased, but 2015 was the safest year in a decade in terms of traffic fatalities.There were 1,496 deaths in 1,532 accidents, as against 1,575 in 1,616 accidents a year ago. Police said strict enforcement of rules, including cancellation of licences, brought about the improvement, but data shows a 14% decrease in challans--from 42 lakh in 2014 to 36 lakh in 2015.

The eChallan system enabled police to identify repeat offenders, and more than 19,000 licences were seized in special drives recommended by the Supreme Court committee on road safety.In one of these `Chakravyuh' drives, more than 1,000 vehicles were challaned in a day.

Analyses of the accidents in 2014 helped police remove some of the causes. Road-owning agencies were asked to make changes on 137 accident-prone stretches.

Worryingly, the number of challans for drunk driving decreased by 11% from 2014; there were 24,960 chal lans till December 15 last year, as against 28,059 in 2014.While 707 licences were cancelled, 3,529 drunk drivers were sent to jail for 1-3 days, 21 for 4-5 days, seven for 6-9 days and six for 10 days. Another 38,224 reckless drivers were counselled on safe dri ving.

Police involved people in traffic policing through phone apps and their Facebook page, and 5,200 violations were reported by the public. Hired helicopters were also used for regulating and monitoring traffic movement during festivals in 2015.

1.9==2015>17: Despite dip, Delhi still the crime capital== Oct 23, 2019: The Times of India

2015>17: An overview of crime in Delhi
From: Oct 23, 2019: The Times of India

Delhi appears to have done enough to live up to its unwanted appellation as the crime capital of India, with the latest National Crime Records Bureau report, released on Monday, showing that around 1,050 police cases were registered for every lakh of population in the city in 2017 compared with a national average of just 238. Even though the rate of violent crimes slid, Delhi still accounted for 28% of the violent crimes reported in the metropolitan cities and for 40% of the Indian Penal Code crimes.

While the number of murder cases in 2017 dipped 17% and kidnapping by 8% compared with 2016, Delhi’s 400 homicides and 6,095 abductions still topped Mumbai and Bengaluru. Delhi Police also registered 1,229 cases of rape in 2017 compared with 287 cases in Mumbai.

Alarmingly, the number of crimes committed by juveniles rose to 2,965 in 2017 from 2,499 the previous year and 2,366 in 2015. The maximum crimes against senior citizens were also reported from Delhi with a 10% rise from 685 cases in 2016. Delhi also had the lion’s share, around 35%, of crimes against children in the metros.

While Delhi had the highest percentage (27%) of offences affecting the human body among metro cities ahead of Mumbai (10%) and Bengaluru (8.5%), it saw the most vehicle thefts in the country with 40,972 cases registered, two years after police introduced the lodging of e-FIRs for reporting vehicle thefts. Delhi also had among the most robbery cases (3,147) in the country and the most number of thefts in 2017 with 1,33,024 cases. Of this, 8,051 cases involved snatching. NCRB said there were 613 cases of attempt to murder and 36 cases of dacoity in the city. Of the 752 lost properties, only 76 were recovered by police, a worse record than in 2016 and 2015.

Delhi Police maintained that the rise in the crime statistics was actually the fallout of its several initiatives. “The figures indicative our pro-active policing, registration of e-FIRs and increase of police presence on the roads,” asserted Delhi Police spokesperson Mandeep Singh Randhawa. “The data shows a dip in crimes that are prime indicators of a city’s crime situation.” Police also cited data showing a decline of 28% in violent crimes and higher disposal of heinous cases to boost their claims.

[edit] Nov 2016: demonetisation reduced crime

Is demonetisation affecting crime in Delhi?, The Times of India 10 Dec 2016

Crime in Delhi between 8 November and 9 December in 2015 and 2016: a comparison to see if demonetisation had an effect on crime in Delhi.
Cases of extortion almost halved. Others - including crimes against women - showed a downward trend, too.

According to police data, certain crimes in Delhi have shown a fall between November 9 - a day after the PM announced demonetisation - and December 8 of this year, as compared to the corresponding period last year. Most significantly, cases of extortion have almost halved. Others - including crimes against women - have shown a downward trend, too.

[edit] 2016: 26% decline in criminal activities

Heinous crimes dip 26%, south better off than north, Feb 14, 2017: The Times of India

To improve the law and order situation, Delhi, in 2016, was divided into two zones -north and south.The idea seems to have worked as far as certain crimes like murders and robberies are concerned.

Heinous crimes declined by 26% in 2016 as compared to 2015, Delhi Police data show.There were lower number of murders, snatchings and robberies too. In 2016, 9,571 cases of snatching were reported against 9,896 in 2015. Also, the number of murder cases stood at 528 against 570 in 2015, whereas 4,781 cases of robbery were reported against 7,407 in 2015. Cases of rioting (mostly non-communal) dipped in 2016 -numbering 79 against 130.

However, south zone fared better than north. According to data, south zone -headed by special commissioner P Kamraj -registered 87,910 cases under IPC against 1,11,581 in north zone, overseen by S B K Singh. Twenty-two cases of murder were reported in south against 24 in north. As many as 237 murders took place in south zone and 273 in north.The number of rape cases in south and north was 979 and 1,130, respectively.

Overall, registration of crime shot up by 9% in Delhi; 73% of these cases remained unsolved. As many as 2,09,519 cases were reported in 2016 against 1,91,377 in 2015. Alarmingly , 86% of vehicle thefts, 86% of house thefts and 40% of kidnappings remained unsolved. As much as 65% of snatchings, 23% cases of robbery , 40% cases of extortion and 14% cases of rape were not cracked.

Of the 14,307 burglary cases reported, only 2,405 were solved. Of the 9,571snatching cases reported last year, 6,207 remained unsolved. The detection rate of heinous cri mes increased to 12.82% in 2016, as police claimed that 71.67% cases were cracked. In 2016, 2,155 cases of rape were reported against 2,199 in 2015.

On terror front, Delhi Police's special cell, arrested 12 people in 2016. They also busted an ISIS module in early 2016 when B S Bassi was the police chief. Later in the year, the cell, along with NIA and Kerala police, busted another ISIS module.

Last year, counterfeit currency with face value of Rs 5.74 crore was recovered and 80 cases registered. The Crime Branch busted an espionage ring allegedly being run from Pak High Commission in Delhi.

[edit] 2017, Jan-May

Rajshekhar Jha, Cases of rape, molestation down in city in 2017, June 18, 2017: The Times of India

Crime in Delhi, 2016-May 17; Rajshekhar Jha, Cases of rape, molestation down in city in 2017, June 18, 2017: The Times of India

Crime against women seems to have reduced in the capital this year.According to figures released by Delhi Police, 836 cases of rape have been reported till May 31 compared with 924 in the same period last year. Mo lestation cases have gone down from 1,841 to 1,412.

The trend is attributed to a slew of measures taken by police commissioner Amulya Patnaik. These include deploying women patrol teams in markets, placing women officers in key posts and holding self-defence classes.

Heinous crimes such as murder and robberies have also declined: 1,293 robberies have been registered till May 31 compared with 2,374 in the first five months of 2016. The corresponding figures in case of murders are 205 and 206.

Street crimes, such as snatching, have reduced as well. A total of 3,717 cases have been registered in the first 150 days of 2017 compared with 4,255 last year. This means one case an hour is being reported on an average. The number of fatalities due to road accidents has gone down too: 545 people have been killed till May compared with 642 in fatal mishaps in 2016. Crimes like burglaries and thefts have in creased. Cases of burglaries have risen from 5,115 to 5,949 till May . House thefts have risen substantially from 4,813 to 6,238 cases in the first five months.

This is worrying as a little data crunching shows that last year there were 32 reported cases of house thefts daily in the first five months, but this year the figure is around 42 each day . It also means that two houses on an average are burgled in the capital every hour.

Vehicle thefts have risen again after being in check in April. From 16,263 cases till May last year, the figure has increased to 16,398. It means 109 vehicles are being stolen everyday in Delhi. Between January and April in 2016, 12,784 cases were reported and the figure stood at 12,666 in the corresponding period this year. This comes to around 105-106 cases a day .

Dacoities have fallen from 21to 15 and kidnapping dipped from 10 to 8 till May; 203 cases of abduction have been reported this year against 328 last year and 2,404 cases of kidnappings registered com pared to 2,505 last year.

The number of total heinous crimes have dipped from 3,837 to 2,638 cases. Non-heinous crimes such as thefts and burglaries have risen from 78,307 to 98,481. Overall, the total number of registered IPC cases have gone north from 82,144 to 1,01,119 cases till May.

[edit] 2018: Decline in crime ; More Cases Solved, More Registered

Rajshekhar Jha, Is Delhi safer? Police data shows fall in crime in 2017, January 12, 2018: The Times of India

Crime in Delhi, some statistics, 2016-17
From: Rajshekhar Jha, Is Delhi safer? Police data shows fall in crime in 2017, January 12, 2018: The Times of India

Crime in Delhi- Arrests, vehicle theft, app choice for reporting crime, terrorists arrested, 2016, 2017
From: Somreet Bhattacharya, January 12, 2018: The Times of India

More Cases Solved, And More Registered

The year 2017 has proved to be a good year for the police in Delhi. After several years, almost all genres of crimes — including crimes against women — have dipped, data released by the police at its annual press conference on Thursday shows. Road fatalities were down as well.

According to police data, not only have heinous crimes like murder, dacoity and robbery — the prime indicators of acrime situation in a city — gone down significantly but more cases were solved as well. According to police commissioner Amulya Patnaik, a focused approach to combating crime and strengthening groundlevel constabulary had resulted in this reduction.

“Street crime came under control with a sharp decline in robberies and snatchings by 21.05% in 2017. Insistence on concentrated investigation led to a high rate of detection of heinous cases, which was 87.98% in 2017, as compared to 71.81% last year,” Patnaik said. While the overall registration of crimes increased by around 12% from 2016, Delhi Police said it highlighted its efforts towards proactive and free registration of crime.

Patnaik attributed this increase to several factors, including online registration of crimes and the lodging of FIRs on complaints filed by email.

He also put out a vision of a tech-savvy police in the making as he announced that the much-awaited joining of a chief technical officer had already happened. Dr A K Mohapatra, earlier head of department (IT) at Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women, will be working with a special commissioner to speed up modernisation projects.

[edit] Overall

Cops arrest crime growth, but gaps a worry, January 10, 2019: The Times of India

Crime in Delhi, 2016-18
From: Cops arrest crime growth, but gaps a worry, January 10, 2019: The Times of India

Police Chief Says More Cases Cracked In 2018

The capital’s police force solved more cases, made more arrests and resolved more pending cases in 2018 than in earlier years. At the annual police press conference on Wednesday, Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik declared that crime in the city was under control, but added that more efforts were on to plug the gaps that still remained.

Patnaik said he revamped the beat policing system and put officers of assistant subinspector rank in charge of their areas. He also said that Delhi Police collaborated with Quality Council of India to conduct a public perception survey get a feedback from the people on where the services delivered by the cops needed to be boosted.

Patnaik was happy to inform that 91% of heinous cases had been solved in 2018. “The detection rate in cases of kidnappings and dacoities was 100%, while 95% of rape incidents were solved and 86% of murder cases were cracked. Only 11% of murders were crime related,” he said.

The annual crime data showed that 91,291 people were arrested in 2018 against 84,999 in 2017, a rise of 7.4%. Also, 2,91,039 cases were cleared last year compared with 2,64,558 in 2017 and 1,81,806 in 2016. Overall, the police registered 2,36,476 cases under the Indian Penal Code in 2018 against 2,23,077 in 2017.

R P Upadhyay, special commissioner (law and order, south), added that 1,131 new history-sheets were opened in 2018 against 937 in 2017, while 120 absconding history sheeters were traced and 168 criminals carrying rewards on their heads arrested. The police also arrested 1,848 proclaimed offenders.

Data for 2018 showed heinous crimes dipping by 12%, dacoities by 36%, robberies by 20% and rioting by 54%. Kidnappings for ransom, however, rose by 35%. For consuming liquor in public, 33,873 people had cases registered against them.

Cracking down on organised crime was a priority, said special commissioner (Crime) Satish Golcha. He said 1,901 firearms were seized in 2018 against 1,318 in 2017, a 38% rise. “Under MCOCA, 17 cases were registered and 14 new proposals initiated, while 38 more criminals have been identified for action to be taken against them,” Golcha added.

The hiving off of law and order from investigation as a pilot project is aimed at improving the quality of investigation and to ensure that law and order remained in check. “This is currently being implemented in 30 police stations,” revealed Sandeep Goel, special commissioner (law and order, north). “This will help in timely disposal of criminal cases, better the conviction rate and improve coordination with the prosecuting agency.”

In 2019, Delhi Police will focus on curbing street crimes, disclosed Patnaik. Timewise and areas-wise mapping of incidents, ‘Raftar’ bike patrols at hotspots and strengthening of the anti-snatching teams are some of the measures that will be taken to bring down street crime.

Patnaik added, “We will also focus on technological upgradation, better service delivery and improved traffic management. Others on the top of the police agenda are the restructuring of the cyber cell for proactive action and modernisation of the training wing.”

[edit] Rapes decline for 2nd straight year, road deaths rise

Rape cases decline in city for 2nd straight year, road deaths rise, January 10, 2019: The Times of India

Rape, murder and road deaths in Delhi: 2017, 2018
From: Rape cases decline in city for 2nd straight year, road deaths rise, January 10, 2019: The Times of India

Delhi, often called the country’s rape capital, has recorded a slight dip in the number of rape cases for the second year running. In 2018, the city registered 2,043 rape cases as against 2,059 the previous year.

However, the dip comes with the alarming revelation that rapes by relatives, immediate family members, friends

and neighbours — which police can hardly anticipate or prevent — have touched an all-time high of 97.5% of all cases. Conversely, strangers were involved in a record low of 2.5% of rape cases.

Presenting the annual crime figures, police commissioner Amulya Patnaik said on Wednesday that overall heinous crimes had gone down in 2018 by 12% while street crimes like snatchings and robberies declined by 18% and 20%, respectively. Murders, too, witnessed a marginal decline — from 487 in 2017 to 477 in 2018.

The traffic situation remained grim as fatal accidents rose from 1,491 to 1,562 in 2018. And these accidents killed 1,604 people last year as against 1,510 in 2017. Vehicle thefts too remained a cause for concern, registering a rise of around 13% last year — 44,158 cases as against 39,084 in 2017.

[edit] 2019

20% spike in city crimes last year, but heinous offences down: NCRB, October 1, 2020: The Times of India

Delhi: Crime, 2018, 2019
From: 20% spike in city crimes last year, but heinous offences down: NCRB, October 1, 2020: The Times of India

Cases of rapes in Delhi saw a rise of 3% in 2019 while overall registration of crimes in the capital witnessed a rise of around 20% in 2019 compared with 2018, data released by National Crime Records Bureau shows.

In 2019, 2,99,475 crime incidents were registered against 2,49,012 incidents in the previous year. However, overall heinous crimes saw a dip in registration. Robberies, for example, dipped with 1,956 cases last year against 2,444 cases reported in 2018. This is a fall of 20% but can be categorised as highest when compared nationally. In Delhi, the robbery rate — number of crimes per 100,000 population — in 2019 was 9.8 against the all-India rate of 2.3.

Last year, 1,253 cases of rapes were registered compared to 1215 cases in 2018, a rise of 3%. However, molestations came down in 2019 with 2,355 registered cases against 2,705 in 2018. In 2019, five cases of murders with rape were reported against three in 2018, NCRB data shows. 456 cases of sexual harassment were reported in 2019 against 552 in 2018.

Thefts 80% of registered crimes

Graft Cases Against Public Servants See 3-Fold Rise: NCRB

The NCRB data also shows that registration of “crimes against the state” witnessed a rise of 136% in 2019 compared to previous year. In 2018, 11 cases under this head were registered in Delhi whereas the figure jumped to 26 in 2019. Similarly, cases of corruption by public servants, which are registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act show a three-fold rise in 2019.

In 2018, six cases were registered under this Act where as 18 cases were registered in 2019, a rise of 200%. The incidents of vehicle thefts dipped slightly with 46,215 cases reported in 2019 compared to 46,433 cases in 2018. However, the rate of this crime per lakh population was recorded at 231.8 in 2019 against 17.8 nationally. The murders saw a marginal rise with 521 cases being reported in 2019 against 513 in 2018.

The data suggests that a big chunk of the overall registered crimes were those of thefts — 2,45,985 cases in 2019 against 1,95688 in 2018. The figures suggest that thefts constituted over 80% of the registered crimes. In 2018, a little over half the crimes pertained to thefts. The theft rate in Delhi was around 1,233 while the rate recorded nationally was merely around 50. Economic offences and cybercrimes showed a decline in 2019, NCRB data suggests.

Crimes pertaining to economic offences saw a slight reduction of around 0.5% from 4,918 in 2018 to 4,889 in 2019. The maximum number of cases reported were of forgery and cheating, 4533 cases were reported last year.

Also, registered cases of cybercrime saw a decline of around 35% from 189 in 2018 to 115 in 2019. In maximum number of cases, the motive of criminals was to dupe people, extort money and even revenge was seen as a reason. A total of 17 cases of online stalking of women were reported last year. Human and child trafficking cases reported a slight decline in 2019 with registration of 93 cases against 98 in 2018.

In the 93 reported cases, 536 of the victims were below 18. In many of the cases, the victims were in groups. In 2019, Delhi reported one custodial death and the person was not on remand. The NCRB, which functions under the Union home ministry, is tasked with collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code and special and local laws in the country.

[edit] Details

Crime in Delhi in 2019, vis-à-vis 2018: 1
From: Nov 25, 2019: The Times of India

Crime in Delhi in 2019, vis-à-vis 2018: 2
From: Nov 25, 2019: The Times of India

See graphics:

Crime in Delhi in 2019, vis-à-vis 2018: 1

Crime in Delhi in 2019, vis-à-vis 2018: 2

[edit] 2020

Sakshi Chand, February 20, 2021: The Times of India

Crime in Delhi in 2020
From: Sakshi Chand, February 20, 2021: The Times of India

Crime in Delhi in 2020, the Covid year
From: February 20, 2021: The Times of India

See graphic:

Crime in Delhi in 2020

Crime in Delhi in 2020, the Covid year

When 2020 turned the corner, Delhi Police found itself engaged in a challenge that pitted its own against an insidious coronavirus. Police had not only to enforce the Covid-19 lockdown, but in doing so had to take care of its personnel. Its duties included policing the streets, securing containment zones, implementing social distancing, distributing food to the stranded and even handing out masks to the needy.

At one point of time, Delhi Police was managing around 2,500 containment zones, preventing people from stepping or moving around in the isolated area. To help the residents in such localities, police created WhatsApp groups and facilitated supply of essential items. All the while, the cops traced containment violators using geo-fencing technology and sometimes registered cases against them.

Around 31 cops succumbed to Covid and over 2,500 recovered after infection. Unfazed, police commissioner S N Shrivastava launched a plasma donation programme, urging personnel who had recovered to help others undergoing convalescent plasma therapy. The cops are still donating blood and plasma for Covid patients in Delhi.

An onerous task for the cops was caring for the stranded migrant labourers across the city. They not only provided meals, but also guided the beleaguered population to the nearest shelters. An even bigger challenge was moving the tens of thousands of migrants to the stations from where they could board special trains back home, all the while ensuring social distancing.

Amid all this, the cops also had to maintain law and order and carry out policing. It was a time when going to a crime scene was a hazard, especially if the crime had taken place in a containment zone. Apart from taking the mandatory precautions, police were able to carry out investigations, relying on extensive use of technology for the purpose.

Dedicated teams in each district tracked social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook and responded to the posts of people in distress. All police premises and colonies were regularly sanitised and complaints were heard from behind plastic barriers. Technology played a major role and complaints were accepted over video calls or online. Most of the cases registered in 2020 were online without police interface.

To motivate the force and their families, police organised wellness seminars and counselling sessions. Over one lakh Ayuraksha kits were distributed to boost the immunity of personnel, and yoga and pranayama camps were made mandatory at the district level.

Delhi Police also showed their humane side, and from June 15 last year till February 18 this year, it distributed over four lakh masks to the needy. Among other such exercises, it also reached out to those living alone, especially senior citizens. In a wonderful gesture, the cops made them feel supported amid the isolation by getting them cakes and celebrating their birthdays.

[edit] 2021 B