Overview Andhra Pradesh Home Minister V. Anitha announced significant progress in crime control, policing reforms, and public safety during 2025 . The overall IPC/BNS crimes declined by 6.17% , indicating improved law and order in the state. Key Developments Crime Statistics Decline in Riots: A significant reduction of 53.88% was recorded in riot cases. Crimes Against SCs and STs: These crimes decreased by 24.32% . Crimes Against Women: There was a 3.82% decrease in crimes against women. POCSO Cases: Cases registered under the POCSO Act declined by 11.4% . NDPS Cases: Cases related to narcotic drugs decreased by 7.9% . Detection and Conviction Rates The property crime detection rate stood at 56% , and the recovery rate was 55% , surpassing the national average of 33.8% . Courts delivered 510 convictions, including 126 life sentences, in cases related to crimes against women and children. Women and Child Safety Initiatives Operation TRACE: This operation enabled the police to trace 1,262 missing girls and 2,648 women within four months. Self-Defence Training: 12.95 lakh girls and women across 14,625 institutions received self-defence training. Technology and Surveillance CCTV Cameras: The deployment of 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras helped solve 2,514 cases. Drones: 347 drones supported aerial surveillance, leading to the detection of 6,993 cases. ERSS-112: The response time for ERSS-112 was reduced by 50% to 15.53 minutes , exceeding national standards. Anti-Narcotics Drive As part of the anti-narcotics drive, the police destroyed 99,836 kg of ganja, arrested 9,478 accused, and completely eradicated ganja cultivation in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district. Police Welfare and Recruitment Over ₹815 crore was spent on police welfare, and 6,015 constables were recruited. Stipends were also enhanced. UPSC Relevance This news is relevant to GS3 (Security) and GS2 (Governance, Social Justice) . It highlights the state government's efforts in maintaining law and order, ensuring public safety, and implementing welfare measures for its police force. The use of technology in crime prevention and detection is also a key aspect relevant to UPSC syllabus. Important Facts IPC/BNS Crime Reduction: Andhra Pradesh saw a 6.17% decrease in overall crimes. Operation TRACE Success: Traced 1,262 missing girls and 2,648 women. CCTV Impact: 1.4 lakh cameras helped solve 2,514 cases. Ganja Destruction: 99,836 kg of ganja destroyed. ERSS-112 Improvement: Response time reduced to 15.53 minutes .