Quick response, pink booths: How Ghaziabad curbed crime in last 2 years

Ghaziabad: In the months before the first police commissionerate was set up, there was a spurt in crime in the city. But for the last 23 months, the city was ranked number one in response time in UP, according to the statistics, as there was a significant improvement in policing. In March, the average response time was 3.18 minutes in the district.
On Tuesday, a change of guard took place when J Ravinder Goud was appointed the new police commissioner and Ajay Kumar Mishra (2003 IPS batch) was reassigned to Prayagraj IG Zone after serving two years and five months as the city's top cop.
Following his central deputation with the Intelligence Bureau from 2015, Mishra returned to the state in 2022. After he took over on Nov 30, there was a significant decline in murder, snatching and robbery numbers. In 2022, a total of 146 murders were reported, but in 2023, the number was 124 and in 2024, the number was 121. As for snatching incidents, in 2022, a total of 346 incidents occurred, but in 2023, the number dropped to 325, and in 2024, the number was 312. In 2022, 302 house robberies were recorded, but in 2023, the number increased to 318. However, in 2024, a total of 285 house robberies took place, seeing a dip in numbers.
The city recorded 1,422 crimes against women in 2024 — four incidents daily on an average — which was a 43% dip compared to the 2,513 cases reported in 2023.
The initiatives taken by Mishra included 20 pink booths in the district — nine in rural areas, six in urban locations and the rest in trans-Hindon region — to tackle crime against women.
These pink booths received 9,307 complaints, predominantly regarding domestic violence. Following counselling, 6,383 couples agreed to withdraw cases.
Abduction cases related to sexual crimes decreased to 523 in 2024, compared to 1,022 in 2023. Police statistics reveal 174 rape cases were reported between Jan 1 and Dec 31 in 2024, showing a 30% decrease from 252 cases in 2022. However, in 2023, there were 211 rape cases — 18% more than 2024.
A significant dip in harassment, dowry death and domestic violence incidents were recorded. Teasing cases decreased to 206 in 2024 from 404 in 2023, whilst dowry-related deaths reduced to 24 from 51 in the same period.
Domestic violence reports totalled 496, showing a 40% reduction from 825 last year, police records say.
Strict measures were implemented against underage driving, resulting in legal action against parents and vehicle owners.
The administration took firm action against truck drivers parking on the Delhi-Meerut and Eastern Peripheral Expressways, as these vehicles contributed to traffic congestion and accidents.
To enhance road safety, he instituted a Rs 20,000 fine for two-wheelers on the DME and EPE. Additionally, he prohibited e-rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and cycle-carts from operating on the Hindon Elevated road and NH9. The number of accidents on the DME and EPE also decreased. In 2022, a total of 140 accidents occurred, resulting in 86 fatalities.
In 2023, 71 accidents took place, with 57 deaths, and in 2024, a total of 37 accidents occurred, resulting in 33 fatalities.
In Feb, Mishra decided to shift the weekly markets from roads to an open ground. The decision was taken after he received several complaints through letters, email and on his WhatsApp, in which residents raised concerns about traffic jams on roads due to weekly markets.
The police's earlier decision to relocate weekly markets from roadsides to an adjacent open ground, benefiting local residents, was overturned after the chief secretary visited Ghaziabad and said the authority to relocate markets rests with the town planner, not the police force.
Police recently received rewards of Rs 1.06 crore for arresting criminals with rewards on their heads and for excellence in sports earlier this month.
Mishra was also involved in a controversy with Loni MLA Nandkishor Gujjar over Kalash Yatra. The MLA claimed to have taken permission and alleged cops stopped him and misbehaved with him.
Infra and challenges
For new police commissioner Goud, while the key challenge will be to further reduce crime, the completion of ongoing infra work and keeping the morale of the force up with more such initiatives will be equally important, along with the residential quarters for over 2,000 cops.
Last month, Ghaziabad police spent over Rs 10 crore to distribute mobile devices and computers to enhance case resolution and digital record-keeping. Before the commissionerate system, accommodation was available for only 1,000 officers. There are more than 7,500 policemen in Ghaziabad.
Mishra sent a proposal to the UP govt for more than 2,000 quarters last year. Following this, the govt approved a budget of Rs 22 crore for the construction of residential quarters for police officers in Loni.