J&K Crime Trends: Rising women’s safety concerns, overall shifts in law enforcement efforts

Srinagar, Jul 23: Amid rising concerns over women’s safety and a shifting law enforcement scenario, official data reveals a complex and evolving crime scenario across J&K.

While authorities say that certain improvements in curbing terror-related activities, the sharp uptick in gender-based violence and drug-related offenses has sparked renewed public alarm and highlighted the urgent need for targeted interventions and systemic reform.

According to NCRB data, J&K’s overall crime rate increased by 26.4 percent in 2021 compared to 2019, reflecting a total of 31,675 registered cases.

This marks a steady rise from 25,408 cases in 2019 and 28,911 in 2020.

However, in a more recent development, Police authorities report that the Jammu zone witnessed a decline in criminal cases in 2024, attributing the reduction to strategic policing, community engagement, and preventive measures.

Violent crime, which includes offenses such as murder, assault, and grievous hurt, showed a marginal decline.

While there were 3100 such cases in 2019, the number fell to 2821 in 2020, with a slight uptick to 3072 in 2021.

Law enforcement officials interpret this relative stability as a sign of improved policing, though concerns remain.

One of the most concerning trends has been the steady increase in crimes against women in Jammu and Kashmir.

NCRB figures show that 3405 cases in 2020, 3937 cases in 2021 and 3716 cases in 2022.

These include rape, kidnapping, domestic violence, and cruelty by spouses or in-laws.

In 2022, J&K recorded the second-highest number of crimes against women among Union Territories.

A deeper dive into the data presented in the Lok Sabha revealed that convictions rose from 19 in 2020 to 68 in 2022, arrests surged, with 6309 individuals taken into custody in 2022, up from 4548 in 2021.

While the increasing numbers may point to rising incidents, authorities also credit improved reporting mechanisms, such as zero FIR, gender sensitisation training, and enhanced accessibility to Police services.

These factors have contributed to greater victim confidence in the justice system.

However, activists and experts stress that the figures also reflect persistent societal issues, such as entrenched patriarchal norms and lack of social support for victims.

The data of 2024 data shows a noticeable drop in several non-violent crime categories, including NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act cases of 476 registered in 2024, property theft (excluding motor vehicles) decreased to 944 from 1321 in 2023, motor vehicle thefts fell to 507 from 653 and bovine smuggling dropped significantly to 1770 from 2600 cases.

Officials attribute these improvements to increased patrolling, deployment of surveillance technology, and intelligence-based crackdowns.