Gujarat: Police Commissioner hails Ahmedabad's rank as India's safest city

Ahmedabad, Aug 12 (IANS) Ahmedabad has been crowned India’s safest city in the 2025 Crime and Safety Index by Numbeo, a feat Police Commissioner G.S. Malik calls “a proud moment for Ahmedabad and a model for cities across India.”

The city outperformed major metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, securing a stellar safety score of 68.3, a testament to its citizen-focused policing and robust surveillance network.

The city boasts over 25,000 CCTV cameras, with 22,000 voluntarily installed by residents under the Gujarat Public Safety Act, and the rest set up by the Home Department, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, and the Nirbhaya initiative.

This extensive network, combined with proactive policing, played a key role in ensuring public safety.

Malik credited the achievement to the teamwork between the police force and citizens, along with guidance from the Chief Minister, Minister of State for Home, and the Director General of Police. Gujarat stands out for its notably low crime rate compared to the national average.

According to the 2021 NCRB "Crime in India" report, the overall crime rate in Gujarat dropped to 11.9 per 100,000 population, markedly lower than the national average of 30.2.

The state also recorded a murder rate of just 1.4, compared to 2.1 nationally, and a kidnapping rate of 2.3, versus the national rate of 7.4.

Crimes against women, meanwhile, remained significantly lower than the national average - 22.1 in Gujarat compared to 64.5 per 100,000 elsewhere.

Furthermore, Gujarat’s rate of offences against the human body - covering serious crimes like grievous injury, rape, and attempted murder - stood at 28.6, well below the all-India figure of 80.5, earning it a rank of 31st among 36 states and UTs.

Theft also remains comparatively low at 15.2 per 100,000, while the national average is 42.9.

Ahmedabad’s City Police operates from 52 police stations across its 466 sq km area, with a total strength of approximately 7,500 to 8,000 police personnel spread among these stations, translating to about 170-200 officers per station.

In contrast, for the entire city, including both sanctioned and actual personnel, the figures provide a broader perspective: the sanctioned strength stands at around 15,500 personnel, though the actual deployed strength is closer to 12,500, with nearly 5,000 personnel often assigned to election duties.

--IANS

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