The number of reported crime cases in Andhra Pradesh increased by 5.88 per cent till November this year compared to last year on account of the separate and unified statehood agitations, a top police officer said today.
"With protests for and against (over bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh)...the total cognisable crime up to November 2011 has increased by 5.88 per cent as against the same period last year. Nearly 1.64 lakh cognisable crimes were reported up to November this year when compared to 1.55 lakh cases in 2010 during the same period," Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police V. Dinesh Reddy told reporters at a press conference.
Cases of murders, murders for gain, riotings, rape, dacoities and robberies, burglaries and thefts went up, though kidnapping and cheating cases fell, the DGP said, adding that the overall crime situation in Andhra Pradesh was under control.
Despite a series of protests at different places, the state police was able to effectively tackle the agitators, Reddy said. Police showed restrain and intervened and used force only when the agitators resorted to violence.
"We (police) are of the firm opinion that the agitators are also part of our society," he said.
State police also effectively controlled the communal elements from spreading the communal violence in Adoni of Kurnool district of the state, he added.
Referring to the new initiatives, Reddy said police was planning to use UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for its anti- Naxal operations and also to have a plane and a chopper for deploying and airdropping Greyhounds personnel (AP's elite police force to fight insurgents) in the forest area of Vishakhapatnam.