Kolkata has once again been crowned India's safest major city, marking the fourth straight year of this remarkable achievement. The National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) latest annual report, covering data from 2023, highlights the city's exemplary performance in curbing cognizable offences, setting it apart from its urban counterparts across the nation.
According to the NCRB's "Crime in India 2023" publication, released this week, Kolkata recorded just 83.9 cognizable crimes per lakh population - a metric that measures serious offences under the Indian Penal Code and special laws. This figure not only underscores a continued downward trajectory but also positions Kolkata well below the national average for 19 cities with populations exceeding 20 lakh, where the mean stood at 828 offences per lakh. For context, Kochi topped the list of least safe cities with 3,192.4 cases per lakh, while Delhi followed closely at 2,105.3 and Surat at 1,377.1.
This latest accolade builds on a consistent pattern of improvement. In 2022, Kolkata's rate was 86.5, dipping from 103.5 in 2021, and reflecting a broader decline that traces back to 2016 when the city logged 159.6 cases per lakh. The total number of registered cases in Kolkata also fell for the second year running, from 12,213 in 2022 to 11,843 in 2023. Notably, crimes against women saw a reduction.
Local authorities attribute this success to a multifaceted strategy blending human resources, cutting-edge tools, and community involvement. "Our emphasis on robust infrastructure, increased personnel deployment, and tech-driven surveillance has been pivotal," remarked a senior police officer. He highlighted initiatives like enhanced night patrols and real-time data analytics, which have sharpened crime prevention and boosted detection rates. Kolkata Police's proactive stance, including the planned addition of nine new stations in high-need areas like Bhangar, further reinforces this framework.
State Industries and Women & Child Development Minister Shashi Panja echoed these sentiments, calling the NCRB findings a "vindication" of West Bengal's governance model. "Kolkata's streets are a beacon of safety, countering unfounded narratives from political rivals," she stated, urging citizens to take pride in the collective effort that includes law-abiding behaviour from the populace.
Yet, the report isn't without its nuances. While Kolkata leads in overall safety, Bengal as a state ranked eighth among 28 states with a crime rate of 182.8 per lakh, trailing behind Punjab and Jharkhand in cognizable offences. Nationally, crimes against women rose by 4% in 2023, underscoring the need for sustained vigilance. Kolkata, however, bucked this trend with only 11 reported rape cases - unchanged from 2022 and a fraction of Delhi's 1,678 or Bengaluru's 902.
