According to official statistics, the capital has registered 274 cases of murders in the first six months of this year compared to 254 during the same period last year and 259 in 2008.
The Delhi police might have raised its strength by over 22,000 men since 2007, but it appears to have done little to help check crime with the capital registering more murders and rapes in the first half of this year compared to the same period during previous three years.
According to official statistics, the capital has registered 274 cases of murders in the first six months of this year compared to 254 during the same period last year and 259 in 2008. The corresponding figure for 2007 is 215.
Similarly, rape cases also have increased during the period with 277 cases being reported as against last year's 237. In 2008, the figure was 258 though 2007 recorded the highest of 297.
The Delhi police has a total of around 80,000 personnel in its force with 22,160 being added in the past three years.
Cases of dacoity, kidnapping for ransom and robbery also registered an increase during the same period compared to the previous years. While 318 robbery cases were registered this year till June 30, there were only 258 cases last year during the same period. 262 cases were recorded in 2008 and 264 in 2007.
However, senior police officials said that there was no spurt in crime. They even claimed that the rate of crime is the lowest in the last 40 years.
"There is no spurt in crime. We have the lowest crime rate. The population has increased and so the number of crimes. If you take the crime per one lakh population, it is only 281.05 this year," a senior police official said.
"The crime per one lakh population is the yardstick followed world-wide and it has come down from 286.32 in 2008 to 283.50 last year," he said.
A total of 28,270 criminal cases were registered this year so far with motor vehicle thefts topping the list followed by 3,317 theft cases.
The official said the involvement of first timers in crimes is increasing.
Out of the 483 people arrested on charges of murder this year, 449 or 93% of them were first timers. Similarly out of the 346 arrested for rape, 343 were first timers. 737 out of 807 people arrested for snatching were first timers, the official said.
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