VIJAYAWADA: The sensational double murders in Satyanarayanapuram last week brought the functioning of the city police into sharp focus. Critics began to sharpen their claws to inflict a bruise or two on the police department. Five murders in 15 days! Taunted by the disparagement from several quarters, including a section of the media, the city police began to pull up their socks to crack the whip.

While the incidence of crime of any nature, especially murders and housebreaks, is scary, whether the crime rate is actually on the rise or decline became a moot point. If anything, no police officer in the city is ready to brush aside the gory incidents as "normal and routine," but, at the same time, they also want to assert that the situation is "well within control." Statistics too fortify their argument.

A study into the number of crimes between January and April in the last four years provide an insight into whether the situation is going out of gear or is it under control.

Bloodiest period

As far as murders are concerned, the January-April period in 2004 was the bloodiest, for it accounted for 15 killings. While the number of murders during the period in question was 12 in 2003, it was 10 in 2005 and nine in 2006. Housebreaks presented a different picture. These incidents declined from 263 in 2003 to 164 in 2004; 143 in 2005; and to 129 in 2006.

Thefts are yet another cause of a very serious concern to the denizens of the city. They too showed a steady decline from 1,045 in 2003 to 654 in 2004; 615 in 2005; and to 428 in 2006.

Task on hand

The first and foremost task before the department, they say, is to instil confidence among the people and boost their morale by presenting them the factual situation.

Police Commissioner Umesh Sharraf points out that the city police are laying more emphasis on bringing the accused to justice.

Expectation

Court Monitoring System (CMS) has helped the police expedite the process of bringing the culprits to book. Whenever a crime is committed, the police try to press all possible methods into work to investigate and arrest the accused at the earliest. "What surprises me is the expectation to arrest the accused within 24 hours.

It may or may not be possible. Nevertheless, the police spare no efforts," he observes.

In relation to the Satyanarayanapuram double murders, Mr. Sharraf says police have achieved a breakthrough.

However, he declined to divulge further details .

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