How has the nature of crime changed over the years, particularly with traditional offences now existing alongside technology-driven crimes?

The dimensions of crime have increased. Traditional crimes such as thefts, burglaries and property offences continue, though to a lesser extent. At the same time, cybercrime and narcotics have become very serious challenges. We are also seeing new forms of organised crime in narcotics, cybercrime and food adulteration, with networks involved in production, manufacturing, supply and transportation.

Gen Z is growing up in a very different social and digital environment. How do you see this changing the challenges before the police?

Police have to prepare for a different kind of policing. The way Gen Z communicates and behaves is different. Social media can rapidly mobilise people and an incident in one part of the country can have repercussions in Hyderabad. We need to monitor these developments and use predictive analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) to anticipate what may happen.

Does that mean social media monitoring will become a more important part of policing in the coming years?

Social media is inescapable. We have to learn to live with it and avoid unnecessary controversies. Police personnel should not make foolish mistakes because anything can become viral within minutes. At the same time, our scrutiny of social media also has to be high because malicious and false campaigns are carried out through multiple accounts. Every Commissioner and Superintendent of Police has been asked to remain alert and have teams monitoring social media. It is now a compulsory part of policing.

Technology has transformed criminal investigation. How different is investigating a murder case, for example, today compared with the methods used by police officers earlier?

Earlier, the scene of crime was sacrosanct. If an officer missed a fingerprint, a hair follicle or some other clue, the case could be affected. Now we have CDR [Call Detail Record], IPDR [Internet Protocol Detail Record], CCTV footage and technical analysis. CDR and IPDR can establish locations, communication patterns and timings, while CCTV has become extremely important. But there is a danger of becoming too dependent on technology. The basics of policing remain very important.

With officers increasingly relying on digital evidence, is there a danger that traditional investigative skills could gradually be lost?

Absolutely. We are going back to police station visits, CCTNS, basic patrolling, day patrolling and night patrolling. We cannot forget traditional policing. We have additional work because traditional crimes are continuing and, in addition, we have these new types of crime requiring special qualifications, abilities and training.

How is policing changing after the eradication of Maoism in Telangana?

For almost 30 to 35 years, policing was oriented towards Left-Wing Extremism and terrorism. Specialised forces such as Greyhounds, SIB [Special Intelligence Branch] and OCTOPUS were created because the situation demanded it. But now the situation has changed substantially. At the same time, narcotics, cybercrime, food adulteration and traffic have emerged as major challenges. We have to reorient our forces accordingly.

Does the changing threat landscape mean specialised forces can be rationalised without compromising their operational preparedness?

We are maintaining sufficient strength in Greyhounds and OCTOPUS for operations, training and maintenance. We found that we could redeploy personnel without reducing their effectiveness. We have identified people with backgrounds in chemistry, pharmacy, biology and computer engineering and placed them in departments where those skills can be used.

You have spoken about a larger manpower audit. How do you intend to redistribute the existing sanctioned strength across the department?

The sanctioned strength of the Telangana Police is around 93,000. I do not believe we need to keep asking the government for additional personnel. We need to redeploy the sanctioned strength properly. We are looking at every unit, right down to the police station, constable and Home Guard level, to see where manpower is actually required. The idea is to prepare the department for the next decade without putting an additional financial burden on the government.

AI is increasingly becoming part of policing. What role do you see it playing in the investigation and prevention of crime?

It is going to be very important. We are working on T-SPARK, which is Telangana smart policing using AI-based research and knowledge. We want to automate processes and make information available to officers faster. For example, with the Dial 112 emergency number system, AI can help in receiving calls, transcription and translation. Similar systems can be developed for CCTNS and other policing platforms.

Police checks on groups of people at night sometimes attract criticism. How do you balance such enforcement with concerns about public inconvenience?

Night patrolling is the USP of city policing. The stronger the night patrolling, the safer the city is. Whenever the level of patrolling goes down, crime increases. Patrol teams have to move frequently, respond to calls on 112 emergency number

If Telangana moves towards a larger 24-hour economy and nightlife, what additional policing requirements and challenges would such a change create?

The entire policing system will have to change. The shift system will have to change and we will require additional personnel and vehicles. We also have to consider the increase in narcotics use that has been observed in cities where nightlife has expanded. It [night time policing] is not something that cannot be done, but it has to be carefully calibrated.

Among the emerging challenges facing Telangana, which issues worry you most about their potential impact on the next generation?

Drugs are one of the biggest threats to the future generation. We do not want to reach a situation where drug addiction leads to people committing serious crimes for small amounts of money. The other major issue is food adulteration, which is silently affecting everyone’s health. Cybercrime is another serious challenge, but awareness is already helping people recognise scams such as digital arrest frauds. We have to act now rather than wait until they become much bigger problems.

With Hyderabad expanding rapidly towards the south and southeast, how is the police department preparing for the new challenges that Future City may create?

The development of the Future City and the expansion towards the southeast and other regions will create new policing requirements. We have to orient policing towards those futuristic expectations. The new commissionerate has been created and we are ready to plan policing alongside that growth.

Published - August 21, 2026 06:48 pm IST