Andhra Pradesh Police Strengthens Women and Child Safety Through Tech-Driven Initiatives
The Andhra Pradesh Police is scaling up women and child safety through innovative programs like the Shakti App and Operation Dandayan. By utilizing advanced technology and enforcing strict 60-day charge sheet deadlines, the state has achieved significant success in tracking missing persons and securing criminal convictions.
Highlights
- •The Shakti App has reached 1.5 crore registrations and enables police to respond to distress calls within eight minutes.
- •Operation Trace successfully located 9,007 missing persons, reuniting them with their families.
- •Operation Dandayan mandates filing of charge sheets within 60 days to ensure swift legal justice.
- •Statewide efforts have resulted in 595 convictions, including 155 life sentences and four death penalties.
The Andhra Pradesh Police department is prioritizing the enhancement of women and child safety through the deployment of advanced technology-driven initiatives. Inspector General of Police B. Rajakumari, who oversees this specialized wing, recently highlighted the success of various state-led efforts aimed at safeguarding vulnerable populations across all 28 districts.
Advanced Technological Surveillance and Response
A primary component of this safety infrastructure is the Shakti App. This mobile application has successfully registered 1.5 crore users and is supported by 164 dedicated Shakti teams stationed throughout the state. These teams are engineered to provide rapid intervention, ensuring that police can respond to distress calls from women within a critical eight-minute timeframe.
Furthermore, the state has implemented Operation Trace to locate missing persons. This initiative has been remarkably successful, with law enforcement tracking down 9,007 individuals—consisting of 6,098 women and 2,909 girls—and facilitating their reunion with family members. For young victims, Operation Chinnarithalli has provided essential counseling services to 2,171 individuals impacted by cases under the POCSO Act.
Ensuring Accountability and Stringent Legal Action
To ensure offenders face swift legal consequences, the police have introduced Operation Dandayan. This framework mandates the filing of charge sheets within 60 days to prevent unnecessary delays in justice. Authorities are actively utilizing modern tools, including geo-tagging and facial recognition systems, to monitor individuals with criminal records.
The state has formally opened 5,119 sexual offender sheets to track repeat offenders. Since the inception of these security measures, the judicial process has yielded convictions in 595 cases. This includes 155 life sentences, four death penalty verdicts, and six instances where offenders were imprisoned until their natural death. In the notable 2024 Eepurupalem rape and murder case, two perpetrators received life sentences, while another individual was sentenced to five years for providing assistance to the accused.
Local law enforcement continues to reinforce these measures through community engagement. For example, in Bapatla district, 311 sexual offender sheets are currently active. Under the leadership of SP B. Umamaheswar, the district has conducted 4,539 awareness programs, successfully facilitating over 1.05 lakh downloads of the safety application and securing 39 district-level convictions.
