Delhi Police leads the country in spending on training its personnel and has more women among its ranks but rising vacancies in officer posts could slow decision-making.

The India Justice Report (IJR) spotlights both progress and systemic gaps in the Capital's police force.

The report, which is prepared in collaboration with several civil society organisations among others, tracked the performance of states across four areas-police, judiciary, prisons and legal aid.

Delhi allocated 2 per cent of its police budget to training-well above the national average of 1.25 per cent, with a per-person spent of Rs 28,614, the highest in India, according to the report.

The city's force also boasts 88 per cent coverage of CCTV at police stations and an equal proportion with women help desks, reflecting a robust push towards better-equipped stations.

Women comprise 15 per cent of Delhi's total police force and 11 per cent of its officers, exceeding national averages of 12 per cent and 8 per cent respectively. The numbers show steady movement towards greater inclusion of women in the Delhi Police.

However, the flip side was an 8 per cent vacancy among officers in January 2023, a sharp increase from 2 per cent in 2022, even as constabulary vacancies dropped from 20 per cent to 15 per cent in the same period.

Delhi prisons burst at seams

Delhi's prisons remain severely overcrowded with undertrial inmates making up 91 per cent of the incarcerated population, according to the India Justice Report (IJR) 2025. The report highlighted a troubling trend. It said three of Delhi's 16 jails have recorded over 250 per cent occupancy consistently between 2020 and 2022.

Overall, the capital's jails have operated at over 170 per cent capacity for more than a decade. "Delhi's prisons have consistently recorded over 170 per cent occupancy rates since 2012. In 2022, 15 per cent of its prisons recorded occupancy rates of over 250 per cent. Occupancy rates in three prisons have consistently been over 250 per cent since 2020," the report read.

It said staff shortages exacerbate the crisis. Delhi recorded a 27 per cent shortfall in overall prison staff, including a staggering 60 per cent vacancy among correctional staff and 34 per cent among officers.

Medical care remains strained, with just 90 doctors for 18,000 inmates-averaging one doctor for every 206 prisoners.