Commissionerate Police to prioritise community engagement to curb crime surge in 2025

A total of 21,613 cases were registered in 2024 against 19,410 cases reported from the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar in 2023, marking an increase of nearly 11 per cent.

Twin City Police Commissioner S Debadatta Singh on Wednesday informed that the increase in total cases is attributed to the implementation of free registration policies, encouraging victims to report incidents without hesitation.

Despite the rise in overall crime reporting due to free registration policies, there has been a decrease in major crimes under the categories of murder, dacoity, robbery, burglary, theft, rioting, and rape in Bhubaneswar. As many as 14,416 crimes were reported in 2024 in comparison to 11,975  crimes reported in 2023 in the Capital City.

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Notably, the number of murder cases climbed from 52 in 2023 to 66 in 2024 in Bhubaneswar. However, there was a reported decline in incidents of dacoity, robbery, and theft.

Similar to Bhubaneswar, Cuttack UPD has recorded a decline in key crimes such as murder, robbery, burglary, swindling, rioting and other cases.

Meanwhile, the Commissionerate Police has pledged to enhance community policing efforts in an attempt to curtail rising crime rates by involving the public more actively. This initiative is part of their New Year's agenda.

Crackdown on Property Crimes and Cyber Crime Threats

Police managed to apprehend 1,125 suspects related to property crimes, recovering 5.555 kg of gold, over 15 kg of silver, and 779 mobile phones in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

Meanwhile,  cyber crime has emerged as a particularly pressing challenge, with 7,263 cases of fraud reported in 2024, involving more than Rs 82 crore. 

Following these reports, Rs 23.6 crore has been frozen, and Rs 2.5 crore was reimbursed to victims. Public awareness campaigns are underway to combat cyber crime, supported by the introduction of a toll-free number, 1930.

Focus on Traffic and Safety Measures in 2025

For 2025, the Commissionerate Police has identified addressing the increasing traffic congestion and reducing accident rates in the Twin Cities—Bhubaneswar and Cuttack—as key priorities. The Police Commissioner has underscored the importance of these measures in enhancing public safety.