Hyderabad: Telangana has witnessed a 7.15 per cent increase in the overall number of crimes over the past three years, with narcotics and organised crime cases emerging as major challenges for the police department.
The number of cases increased from 2,65,377 in 2023-24 to 2,84,363 in 2025-26, while the crime rate per lakh population rose from 481.58 to 491.59. Narcotics cases increased by 46.10 per cent, from 2,026 to 2,960, while organised crime cases jumped from 25 to 451, registering a 1,704 per cent increase.
Reviewing the state’s crime situation at the half-yearly crime review meeting with senior police officers at the DGP Office here on Friday, August 28, Director General of Police CV Anand directed officers to adopt a data-led and unit-specific approach to crime prevention and control. He stressed the need for field-oriented policing, strict timelines in investigation and a hawkish approach towards organised crime.
The DGP said crime reviews should not be limited to statistics and called for detailed analysis of the causes of crime, modus operandi of offenders, quality of investigation and disposal of cases. He also stressed that monthly crime review meetings should be accorded greater priority.
CV Anand said the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) data update rate, which was earlier between 70 and 80 per cent, had now reached 96 per cent due to the collective efforts of police personnel. He directed officers to maintain the same level of compliance in updating various digital policing portals.
Grave offences on the decline
Despite the overall increase in crime, grave offences declined by 10.33 per cent, from 7,019 cases in 2024-25 to 6,294 in 2025-26. Hyderabad recorded a significant 26.23 per cent decline, with cases falling from 1,483 to 1,094. Cyberabad and Malkajgiri also recorded declines.
However, grave crimes increased in districts such as Mulugu, Nirmal and Adilabad, prompting the need for focused policing in smaller and tribal districts.
Non-grave crimes, meanwhile, continued to rise, increasing 7.28 per cent over three years from 2,59,201 to 2,78,069 cases. Future City, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri recorded notable increases, while Hyderabad registered a marginal decline.
Steep rise in drug-related offences
The rise in drug-related offences was a major concern highlighted during the review. Cyberabad recorded a 90.98 per cent increase in narcotics cases, while Warangal witnessed a 142.31 per cent rise over the three-year period. Adilabad saw cases rise from 57 to 219, while Nizamabad recorded an increase from 62 to 123 cases.
Traffic crime also increased by 9.48 per cent over three years, from 29,130 to 31,891 cases. Cyberabad and Malkajgiri recorded increases, while Hyderabad saw a marginal decline.
Cybercrime, crimes against women decline
At the same time, cybercrime declined by 13.29 per cent and economic offences by 13.28 per cent in 2025-26, providing some relief to the department.
Crimes against women and children declined marginally by 1.54 per cent during the year, from 31,593 to 31,108 cases, though the figure remained 3.81 per cent higher than in 2023-24.
The DGP directed the Zonal Deputy Inspector Generals of Police (DIGs) and the Multi-Zone Inspector Generals (IGs) to examine inspection notes and ensure immediate action on issues identified during district tours and police station inspections. Officers were asked to identify emerging crime trends in advance and prepare specific action plans.
Policing applications reviewed
The meeting also reviewed AI-based policing applications, CCTNS, TG-COP, Hawkeye, the implementation of the new criminal laws, Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS), cybercrime initiatives, Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) operations and the functioning of the Forensic Science Laboratory. Young Indian Police Service (IPS) officers presented technology-driven policing initiatives to improve operational efficiency and public service delivery.
Financial and budgetary matters, police housing and infrastructure, operational issues and the rehabilitation of surrendered Maoists were also discussed.
The DGP, Anand called upon senior officers to continuously reorient their priorities according to the crime profile of their respective units and remain connected with the field. He stressed that strong basic policing, timely analysis of data, technology-driven interventions and sustained supervision were essential to improving crime prevention and control.
The meeting was attended by DG (Law & Order) Mahesh Bhagwat, Telangana Cyber Security Bureau Director Shikha Goel, Director General of Women Safety and Crime Investigation Department (CID) Charu Sinha, EAGLE Director Sandeep Shandilya, Police Commissioners, district Superintendents of Police and other senior officers.
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