Crimes, cybercrimes dip in Bengaluru in first quarter: Top cop

Bengaluru: Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda on Tuesday announced a drop in criminal and cybercrime cases in the city during the first three months of this year, compared to the same period over the past two years.

Addressing a press conference at the commissioner’s office, Dayananda said cybercrime cases had fallen by 39%.

“We registered 2,838 cybercrime cases in the first three months of this year, against 4,674 in 2024 and 3,588 in 2023 for the same period,” he told reporters. He also shared the percentage drop in other criminal cases during the first quarter of this year compared to previous years (see box).

Dayananda added that a study by a Hyderabad-based university had ranked Bengaluru the safest city in India. “They used their own parameters, and the study, published in a Hyderabad-based newspaper, placed Bengaluru at the top,” he said.

Why the fall in numbers? 

Several investigators told DH the decline could be attributed to the effective implementation of the Safe City project, expanded CCTV coverage, and revamped patrolling strategies.

“Using the Mobile Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (MCCTNS) during night patrols has helped us crack down on habitual offenders,” a city police inspector said.

The city’s CCTV network has also grown, with over five lakh cameras now operational, up from about three lakh last year, according to the Bengaluru City Police data.

Drop in cases (first quarter)

Robbery: 73%
Dacoity: 71%
Chain snatching: 57%
House break-ins (night): 41%