Chandigarh cops quickest to respond in country, 5.6-min new record
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Take your experience further with Premium access. Thought-provoking Opinions, Expert Analysis, In-depth Insights and other Member Only BenefitsChandigarh Police is the quickest in the country when it comes to emergency response time, reveals the data compiled by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The UT cops continue to top the country in the fastest emergency response by breaking their own previous record of 6.31 minutes in 2024, to create a new benchmark of 5.6-minute average time taken to reach the distress callers in 2025.
While the Chandigarh Police Control Room (PCR) responds in 5.6 minutes to the distress calls received on 112 or 0172-2749194 or 0172-2744100 (its dedicated telephone lines), which is the swiftest response time in India, Uttar Pradesh ranked second with 6.83 minutes, which it improved this year from 9.84 minutes logged last year.
The MHA has recognised the Chandigarh PCR for the best average response time of 5.6 minutes between January and July this year.
The Chandigarh PCR improved its response time to 6.01 minutes in March 2025 and further reduced it to a record 5.6 minutes.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur told The Tribune that the PCR was strengthened and upgraded with a fleet of 26 new Maruti Ertiga vehicles added to its existing fleet of 78 vehicles in May.
According to the national data of the past five years compiled by the MHA, the average response time of the PCR in Chandigarh improved from 7.09 minutes in 2021 to 6.75 minutes in 2022 but came down to 7.09 minutes in 2023. It further reduced the time to 6.31 minutes in 2024 and touched a record of 5.6 minutes between January and July 2025. This
record response time was way less than the national average of 18.61 minutes in 2025, 18.58 in 2024, 19.09 in 2023, 19.43 in 2022 and 22.18 minutes in 2021.
“This achievement is a testament to the city’s investment in advanced technology and efficient coordination between various police units,” the SSP said, while adding that this was made possible by the integration of computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems and mobile data terminals (MDTs) in PCR vehicles.
The CAD system, integrated with the PCR’s operations, ensures that the nearest available unit is dispatched to the spot. The real-time tracking system enables the control room to monitor and guide PCR vans to the exact location of incident.
“These vehicles are responsible for patrolling, responding to emergency calls and ensuring the public’s safety in real-time. The vehicles are spread out across Chandigarh, ensuring that no area is left unattended. The division of the fleet ensures that response times are minimised, with units available in both urban and suburban locations,” the SSP divulged.
“The induction of new vehicles is intended to provide faster, more reliable responses to distress calls,” she said, while maintaining that the fleet was upgraded in May 2025 and in 2024, with the addition of 51 Maruti Ertiga and Tata Safari SUVs.
Sharing the call volume and efficiency, Kanwardeep said on an average, the PCR receives over 300 calls each day for matters ranging from minor disputes to serious crimes such as robberies and accidents. Despite the high volume of calls, the PCR manages to address incidents efficiently within a few minutes, thanks to the well-coordinated operations and quick decision-making of the staff.
UT PCR STRONG FLEET
Having 86 four-wheelers and 18 motorcycles, the Chandigarh PCR fleet is strategically deployed across the city.
DEDICATED LINES
112 and 0172-2749194 or 0172-2744100 are dedicated telephone lines to reach the PCR round-the-clock.