Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh govt recently conducted a high-level review of the police dept, focusing on grievance redressal, law enforcement efficiency, and public dissatisfaction. Of the approximately 35,000 police-related grievances, nearly 30,000 were resolved, while 13% were reopened due to incomplete resolutions.
The dept ranked third in reopened grievances, with 664 cases (22.3%) related to land disputes and criminal trespass. Complaints about police inaction in fraud and cybercrime cases surged by 18%.
Citizen satisfaction with police grievance redressal stood at 61%, but the chief minister’s office (CMO) rated it lower at 35%, reflecting concerns over grievance handling. Police dept was among the lowest-rated, with a dissatisfaction rate of nearly 38%, making it the third-worst performing dept after water resources and endowments. Across all govt depts, 742,301 grievances were received, with 286,441 still in progress. Home department featured prominently in complaints, including administrative issues and police misconduct, ranking fifth among the top grievance categories.
Among the top reopened grievance areas, police dept ranked third, highlighting persistent public dissatisfaction, particularly in districts like Parvathipuram Manyam and Tirupati, where complaints remain consistently high. Additionally, complaints about police inaction in fraud and cybercrime cases surged by 18%, prompting discussions on establishing specialised cybercrime units to handle such cases more effectively.
The CMO received a total of 20,324 grievances, with the home dept featuring prominently in multiple categories. In the top five grievance areas, complaints related to administrative issues and police misconduct (656 cases) placed the dept in fifth position. While depts such as municipal administration and police audited over 90% of grievances, indicating a relatively high level of responsiveness, concerns persist about the quality of grievance redressal. Many grievances are reportedly being marked as resolved without thorough investigation, leading to dissatisfaction and frequent reopenings.
This has led to growing risk of public distrust, as unresolved grievances can escalate into legal battles or public protests. The failure to address police-related grievances efficiently signals a systemic issue in oversight and accountability.
Discrepancies between citizen-reported satisfaction and CMO evaluations were observed across depts. While some, like revenue and municipal administration recorded relatively high public satisfaction, the CMO’s evaluations remained significantly lower, suggesting stricter internal quality standards. In contrast, the police dept recorded one of the lowest satisfaction percentages, with both citizens and the CMO expressing concerns about grievance handling inefficiencies, which suggests that citizen trust in law enforcement remains fragile and urgent reforms are needed in police accountability and responsiveness.
