Police commissionerate for Mohali on Amarinder’s table

Under the system, a commissioner governs policing; there would be special investigating units for economic offences, narcotics and gangsters

CHANDIGARH: Faster rate of urbanisation and the corresponding change in the nature of crime is likely to mean that Mohali city will get a police commissionerate soon.

Sources said that the proposal in this regard for — Mohali, Patiala and Bathinda — is pending with the state home department and is likely to come up for discussion with chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh this month.

Mohali is likely to get the nod first and will thus have a commissioner to govern its policing.

The system, if introduced, will ensure that there will be special investigating units for economic offences, narcotics, gangsters, technical crimes, and intelligence.

There will also be direct involvement of senior and experienced police officers of the rank of IG and DIG in the city’s policing. These officers will be vested with the powers of the

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The size of the city has increased manifold in the last few years, especially after inclusion of Kharar, Zirakpur and Dera Bassi. AN AGDP RANK OFFICIAL

executive magistrate or the district magistrate.

A police commissionerate system is usually introduced in cities that have a population of 10 lakh and satisfy several subjective criteria like nature of crime, etc. Mohali, at present, has a population of less than 10 lakh.

The government, though, has the power to relax norms as was done when the system was introduced in Jalandhar in 2010.

“Mohali is a fit case for a police commissionerate as it has witnessed rapid urbanisation. The size of the city has increased manifold in the last few years, especially in Kharar, Zirakpur, Dera Bassi and Landran. Housing projects in New Chandigarh are also increasing at a rapid pace,” said an ADGP rank official. He added that Bathinda and Patiala did not have such a profile.

“Migration to the city has changed the demography of crime and dealing with it requires a different system. The successful implementation of this system in Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar makes Mohali a fit case for the next police commissionerate,” another senior officer added.

MORE MANPOWER AT SENIOR POSITIONS

Policing is under more senior officers in a commissionerate system. After the commissioner, usually a senior officer of the rank of an IG or a DIG, there are two DCPS — general and investigation.

The DCP is equivalent to the rank of an SSP in the district.

After the DCPS, officers ranked Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCPS) are posted, as per requirement. A commissionerate usually has five ADCPS, with each equivalent to an SP in the traditional system. This is followed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACPS) equivalent to DSPS. Jalandhar commissionerate has ten posts of ACPS.

Notably, in district policing, an SSP is followed by two SPS and two or three DSPS.

The commissioners are vested with powers of the executive magistrate or the district magistrate for 10 Acts. These are the Indian Explosives Act, 1884; Mental Health Act, 1987; Poisons Act, 1919; Police (Incitement of Disaffection Act), 1922; Immoral Traffic (Preventive Act), 1956; Arms Act, 1959; Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960; Serais Act, 1967; Cinematographer Act, 1952, and the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929. Traffic management is also a key component of the commissionerate system.

The Union home ministry also sends special grants for commissionerates.