New Delhi: Delhi witnessed an upward trend in crime graph for the third consecutive year in 2011 as it registered a four per cent increase compared to the previous year, prompting police to earmark special measures to combat street crime besides strengthening anti-terror mechanism.
Though there was a dip in street crime like snatching and vehicle theft cases, heinous crimes were on the rise in the capital last year compared to 2010.
The number of cases reported in the capital rose to 53,353 from 51,292 in 2010, riding on an increase in cases of rape, molestation, attempt to murder and kidnapping.
While 2008 saw a decline in crime in the capital registering 49,350 cases, the next year saw a rise to 50,251.
The number of murder cases showed a decrease with the Delhi Police registering 543 murder cases in 2011 as against 565 in 2010. Murder cases were down by 4 per cent and burglary by 6 per cent.
City Police Commissioner B K Gupta sought to downplay the rise in the overall numbers saying crime per lakh population is normal. While 313.06 per lakh was the crime rate in 2010, it rose to 318.47 per lakh last year.
"It is the perception of what you or me think about crime in the capital. We can't really go by the numbers. It is what you see on the ground, the amount of work put up by the police force. Crime per lakh calculation gives the correct assessment of crime rate in a city and everybody does that," Gupta said.
Addressing the Delhi Police annual press conference, he said the war against terror would continue to top the agenda of the force in 2012 along with continued action against street crime and priority on issues of women's safety.
In this regard, he said the Crime Branch and Special Cell of the Delhi Police would be strengthened further with "best officers" of the force being sent there.
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