West Bengal Police

The West Bengal Police is the Police Force of the State of West Bengal,in the Union of India reorganised under provisions of Police Act,1861(Act V of 1861),during British Colonial times.As Article 372(1) of the Constitution of the Republic (and Union of States )of India ,1950 permitted to retain all laws in force and/or in existence at the time of adoption and promulgation of the aforesaid Constitution,the formerly mentioned legislation continues to be the loadstar for all the Police Forces in India,along with subsequent modifications wherever brought about. It is headed by an officer designated as the Director General & Inspector General of Police-"present incumbent Anup Bhushan Vohra from 31.7.2006";who has to report to the State Government through the Home (Police) Department which is vested with the power of .He functions from the West Bengal Police Directorate,located in the Writers' Buildings ,the State Government's main Secretariat in BBD Bagh Area of Central Kolkata. DG & IGP,West Bengal is assisted by a team of senior officers from the ranks of Addl DG & IG of Police to Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG~ a post equivalent in rank and status to the Superintendent of Police). West Bengal Police has jurisdiction concurrent with the 18 (eighteen )revenue districts of the State.This comprises one of the 'general police districts' in the State of West Bengal ,as envisaged under the Police Act,1861.The other 'general police district' consisting of the major portions of the metropolitan area of the City of Kolkata , has a separate City Police Force and is constituted and administered under Calcutta Police Act,1866 & Calcutta (Suburban Police ) Act,1866.This unique arrangement in the entire country ,conceived during colonial times,when Calcutta was the capital of the British Empire,where the State capital's (city) Police Force has been kept independent of the State Police Force has been retained till date.The Police Manual of West Bengal Police was compiled and issued during British Raj and is known as the Police Regulations of Bengal(PRB),1943 and with subsequent modifications and corrections, is the guiding source of internal Police Organization and Administration under its area of responsibility.

Zones

The police administration in the state is divided into three police zones and a Government Railway Police (GRP) Zone , each headed by an Inspector General of Police,consisting of one or more Ranges --headed by an officer designated as the Deputy Inspector General of Police or Spl. Inspector General of Police.The Range ,in turn comprises two or more Police districts. In all, there are 22 police districts (including four comprising of Government Railway Police districts), each headed by a Superintendent of Police. Each Zone is headed by an Inspector General of Police. The three Zones are South Bengal (HQ:First Floor, Bhabani Bhawan,31, Belvedere Road,Alipur , Kolkata-700027), Western (HQ: Mirabai Road, Durgapur in the Dist of Burdwan) and North Bengal (HQ:Siliguri in the District of Darjeeling).and office of the IGP railways at 9 Hungerford Street, Kolkata.

Police Range

West Bengal Police has seven Police Ranges and a Railways Range. South Bengal Zone has two Ranges -Presidency (Hqrs on the First Floor of the Bhabani Bhawan,Alipur,Kolkata-27) -consisting of the districts of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and Howrah and Murshidabad Range (Hqrs at Kalyani in the district of Nadia) comprising the districts of Nadia and Murshidabad. Western Zone comprises Burdwan Range consisting of Hooghly, Burdwan and Birbhum districts and Midnapore Range comprising Paschim Midnapur, Purba Midnapur, Bankura and Purulia Districts. North Bengal Zone has three Ranges: Jalpaiguri comprising the districts of Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar, Darjeeling consisting of Darjeeling and Uttar Dinajpur and Malda consisting of the districts of Malda and Dakshin Dinajpur. The Railway Zone is headquartered at 7/1, Hungerford Street in Kolkata ,where the Railways Range DIGP also has his office.

(Police)District

Each District is headed by a Superintendent of Police.Each District Comprises one or more Sub-Divisions ,several Circles and Police Stations

(Police) Sub Divisions

.Sub-Division is headed by one Police officer of the rank of DySP/ASP. DySPs (Deputy Superintendentof Police) are members of State Police Service (either directly recruited officer through WBPSC or promoted ). An ASP (Assistant Superintendent of Police) is the member of Indian Police Service (one of the All India Services).

(Police)Circle

A Circle comprises several Police Stations.

Police Station

A Police Station is headed by either a Sub-Inspector (lower subordinate rank)or an Inspector (erstwhile gazetted officer till the Left Front Government in West Bengal about 30 years ago ,did away with the classification of government employees into gazetted and non gazetted categories but as per Police Regulations of Bengal, an upper subordinate rank). Police Station is the basic unit of Policing responsible for prevention and detection of crime, maintenance of public order, enforcing law in general as well as for performing protection duties and making security arrangements for the constitutional authorities ,government functionaries ,representatives of the public in different legislative bodies and local self governments , public figures etc.

Functional Units

Armed Battalions consisting of State Armed Police (SAP) ,Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR)and India Reserve Bns (IRBs),Criminal Investigation Department(CID),Enforcement Branch(EB),Intelligence Branch (IB), ,Traffic Branch, Police Telecommunication with Hqrs at 3, Moore Avenue, Tollygunge , Kolkata- 700040 ,Training Wing, State Crime Records Bureau(SCRB)& Police Computer Centre (PCC) are some of the functional Units of West Bengal Police .

Armed Police

There are 12 State Armed Police (SAP) Battalions in West Bengal

Eastern Frontier Rifles

tate Armed Police

There are 12 State Armed Police (SAP) Battalions in West Bengal i.e. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 8th Bns. headquartered at Mangal Pandey Udyan, Barrackpore,District- North 24 Pgs., 9th Bn. stationed at Krishnagar,District - Nadia, 4th Bn. stationed at Kasba, Raiganj,District Uttar Dinajpur , 10th & 12th Bn. having headquarters at Dabgram, District-Jalpaiguri, 7th Bn. located at Assansol,District , Burdwan, 11th Bn. stationed at Chharra,District- Purulia & 13th Bn stationed at Simulia,District- Purulia.

India Reserve Battalions

Auxiliary Forces

West Bengal National Volunteer Force (WBNVF),Home Guards Organization (including a Bn of the Border Wings' Home Guards)

West Bengal National Vounteer Force(WBNVF)

Home Guards' Organization

Border Wing Home Guard Battalion

External links

* [http://www.wbgov.com/e-gov/English/DistrictInfo/PoliceStationList.asp?DistId= List of all West Bengal police stations from the West Bengal govt's official site]
* [http://www.cidwestbengal.gov.in Criminal Investigation Department, West Bengal]
* [http://www.midnapurpolice.com Paschim Medinipur District Police]