Punjab Police: Introduction, Present Scenario and Special Features

Discover the Punjab Police, its organizational structure, key functions, specialized units, and its role in maintaining law and order across the state.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The establishment of the Punjab Police as a separate entity occurred after the British takeover of Punjab in 1849. The state police force was set up in 1861 and has gone through numerous challenging times in its roughly 150-year history.
The police reorganization effort began in 1898, when the practice of appointing army commanders to the position of Inspector General was stopped. Until the formation of the BSF (Border Security Force) and the ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Force) after independence of India, it was also responsible for the protection of the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Chinese borders.

Present Scenario

The Punjab Police (abbreviated as PP) is the law enforcement and investigating organization for the state of Punjab. It provides a wide range of specialized services, including crime prevention and detection, law and order enforcement, etc.
Its headquarters are on Jan Marg in Chandigarh. GauravYadav, IPS, is the current DGP of Punjab Police. He is a 1992 batch IPS officer.
Punjab Police observes Commemoration Day every year on October 21.
The state is divided into eight ranges, which are Patiala, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Border, Rupnagar, and Faridkot Range, each headed by IGP.
Presently Punjab has 24 Police Districts headed by SSP and Three Commissionerates headed by IGP/DIG.

Special Features of Punjab Police

Rapid Rural Police Response System: Punjab is the first state of India to have a Rapid Rural Police Response System which provides City PCR-like response service in rural areas.
Crime Investigation Agency: Crime Investigation Agency or CIA staff is a special branch of Punjab Police. The crucial or unsolved criminal cases like smuggling, kidnapping, narcotics, terrorism and murder are handed over to them.
Night policing scheme: Punjab is the first state in the country to launch a night policing scheme with independent cadre, command and structure of a 4,000 strong police force for prevention of offenses at night time.
Punjab Bureau of Investigation (set up in 2019): Punjab is the first state of India to form a Bureau of Investigation, and separated law & order duties from investigation functions by bringing all investigation staff under a unified wing command.
Cyber Crime Cell Punjab: Punjab Police have a dedicated cybercrime cell to deal with cybercrime in the state headed by an ADGP ranked police officer having an office in Phase 4, S.A.S Nagar.
Punjab SWAT: Punjab Police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was formed in 2010. They are highly trained on the lines of the National Security Guard by Israel’s Mossad through private company Athena Security, deployed by the Punjab Government.

Training Centers

Police Recruits Training Centre (PRTC), JahanKhelan
Punjab Police Academy (PPA), Phillaur (Set up in 1891)
Recruit Training Centre, PAP, Jalandhar
Commando Training Centre (CTC), Bahadurgarh, Patiala
In Service Training Centre, Kapurthala

Armed Battalions

Punjab Police also have a contingent of Armed Battalions consisting of eight Punjab Armed Police (PAP) Battalions, seven Battalions of India Reserve Battalions (IRB) and five Battalions of Commandos.
The headquarters of the Punjab Armed Police are located at Jalandhar while the India Reserve Battalions are stationed at Sangrur, Amritsar, Patiala, Ludhiana and Jalandhar and the Punjab Commando Police at Bahadurgarh (Patiala) and S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali)