Greater Mumbai Police


The Greater Mumbai Police is the police department of the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a city police commissionerate under the Maharashtra Police and has the primary responsibilities of law enforcement in the city of Mumbai. The force's motto is .
It is headed by a Commissioner of Police, an officer of the Indian Police Service. The force is divided into 12 police districts, called zones, each headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police, further subdivided into 94 police stations.

History

Early history

From 1534 until 1661, Mumbai was under Portuguese colonial rule. The Portuguese authorities in Mumbai established a police station in 1661, the same year it was transferred to the English colonial empire. Now being governed by the East India Company, the new city administration established a militia known as the Bhandari Militia in 1669 to combat street gangs that targeted sailors. This new force, which was organised by governor of Bombay Gerald Aungier, was headquartered at Mahim, Sevree and Sion and used primarily for law enforcement purposes. In 1672, the city administration implemented a policy of having all law enforcement decisions to be subject to judicial review by the judiciary, though the East India Company suffered from a lack of trained judges during the first decades of their control over Mumbai. The situation remained unchanged for decades. By 1682, law enforcement in Mumbai remained stagnant, and there was only one ensign, two corporals and three sergeants in the Bhandari Militia.

Creation and early days

On 29 March 1780, the office of the Lieutenant of Police was dissolved and the office of Deputy of Police was created. James Tod, the then Lieutenant of Police was appointed as the first Deputy of Police on 5 April 1780. He was tried and dismissed for corruption in 1790. Subsequently, the designation was changed to "Deputy of Police and High Constable".
In 1793, Act XXXIII, Geo. III was promulgated. The post of Deputy of Police was abolished and a post of Superintendent of Police was created in its place, with a Deputy of Superintendent of Police assisting him. Mr. Simon Halliday was the first Superintendent of Police, and governed till 1808. During this time, a thorough revision and re-arrangement of policing in the area outside the Fort was carried out. The troublesome area known as "Dungree and the Woods" was split up into 14 Police divisions, each division being staffed by two English constables and a varying number of Peons, who were to be stationary in their respective charges and responsible for dealing with all illegal acts committed within their limits.

Post-1857

Following the establishment of Crown rule in India after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, in 1864 Commissioners of Police were assigned to the three presidency towns of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. On 14 December 1864, Sir Frank Souter was appointed as the first Police Commissioner of Bombay; in the same year, Khan Bahadur Sheikh Ibrahim Sheikh Imam became the first Indian to be appointed to a senior rank in the Bombay Police, while Souter remained in office for 24 years until 3 July 1888. In 1896, the Police Commissioner of Bombay's office was moved to an Indo-Saracenic building, which it still occupies to this day. The building has been designated as a protected heritage site by the Indian government.

After 1947

After independence, many changes to the Bombay Police were instituted. On 15 August 1947, J.S. Bharucha became the first Indian head of the Bombay Police, taking over from the last British Commissioner, Mr. A.E. Caffin. A dog squad was set up in 1965. Computers were first used by the Bombay police in 1976. A Narcotics Cell and an anti-terrorist special operations squad were created in 1989.
The service was renamed to Mumbai Police in 1995, following the renaming of Bombay to Mumbai. In 1995, the control room was computerised, and finally, in 1997, the Mumbai Police went online.
In 2002, the airport police section handed over security to the CISF.
A massive modernization of the Mumbai Police took place in 2005. New vehicles, guns and electronic equipment were procured for police use. The Tourist Squad was also created to patrol the beaches of Mumbai. On 30 May 2009 the Maharashtra government in Mumbai set up a police station dedicated to tackling cyber crime. It is the third such facility in India after Bangalore and Hyderabad. The dedicated police station will now register first information reports on its own and investigate offences pertaining to cyberspace. It is not clear how people abroad may report to Mumbai Cybercell. The police station will take care of all cyber cases in the city including that of terror e-mails.
The existing Cyber Crime Investigation Cell of the city police probes cyber offences, but the FIRs are registered in local police stations depending on the site of the offence.
A specially trained team of over 25 policemen, headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, were selected for the new job.
The facility will function under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police and Joint Commissioner of Police.
Following the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, a SWAT like unit was created to combat terrorism. Named as Force One, the unit has been trained in the use of sophisticated arms and explosives, and the personnel are known for their rapid shooting skills. While the National Security Guard has a regional hub in Mumbai, Force One is expected to be part of the initial response to a terror strike in Mumbai.

Headquarters

The Mumbai Police Headquarters are in a Grade II-A listed heritage building that was built in 1894 and designed by John Adams, who also designed the Royal Bombay Yacht Club. It is located opposite Crawford Market in South Mumbai, a mile away from the Victoria Terminus. The construction work started on 17 November 1894 and finished two years later on 24 December 1896. The building was formally opened on 1 January 1897.
The architectural style of the building is Gothic Revival. In contrast to the Maharashtra Police Headquarters in Fort, which uses blue basalt and was built some two decades earlier, this building uses yellow basalt. The building underwent a major restoration in 2017 for the first time in its 120-year history. In 2018, it was announced that a police museum funded by Tata Trusts would open in the building. Since then, there have been no further developments.

Organisation

The Mumbai Police Department is headed by a Police Commissioner, who is an IPS officer. The Mumbai Police comes under the state home department through Maharashtra Police. The city is divided into Twelve police zones and Twenty Five traffic police zones, each headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police. The Traffic Police is a semi-autonomous body under the Mumbai Police.
The department holds several programs for the welfare of its officials including Retirement Planning Workshop.

Geographical division

Mumbai police is broadly divided into five regions namely Central, North, South, East and West. For administrative purposes, each region is subdivided into 3 to 4 zones. Each zone contains 3 to 4 police stations. Each zone is commanded by a Deputy Commissioner of Police. Apart from the 12 zones, there is also an additional Port zone. Police stations under the Port zone keep vigil on the Mumbai Port and container terminals in Mumbai. There are a total of 91 police stations in the jurisdiction of Mumbai Police. Every police station has a Police Inspector who is the in-charge officer of the station.

Subunits

Mumbai Police is divided into the following units:
Each of these units have a Chief of the rank of Joint Commissioner of Police.

Hierarchy

  • Commissioner of Police

  • Special Commissioner of Police

  • Joint Commissioner of Police

  • Additional Commissioner of Police

  • Deputy Commissioner of Police

  • Assistant Commissioner of Police

  • Police Inspector/Senior Police Inspector
  • Assistant Police Inspector
  • Police Sub-Inspector
  • Assistant Sub Inspector of Police
  • Head Constable
  • Police Naik
  • Police Constable

    Insignia of Mumbai Police (City Police)

;Gazetted Officers
Post/DesignationAbbreviationRankStrength
Commissioner of PoliceCPDG/ADG1
Special Commissioner of PoliceSpl. CPADG1
Joint Commissioner of PoliceJt.CPIGP5
Additional Commissioner of PoliceAddl. CPDIG11
Deputy Commissioner of PoliceDCPSP/Addl.SP41
Assistant Commissioner of PoliceACPDySP/Asst.SP124
Police InspectorPI-977
Assistant Police InspectorAPI-756
Police Sub InspectorPSI-2850
Assistant Sub InspectorASI-3329
Head ConstableHC-8146
Police NaikPN-60100
Police ConstablePC-118666