CP plea to govt to create 2 police dists in city

Bhubaneswar: Commissionerate police have sent a proposal to the govt, seeking to split its jurisdiction in the capital city and requesting additional staff to handle the growing population and effectively combat crimes. The proposed division aims to enhance efficiency of law enforcement and improve response times across the expanding city, police sources said.
In his proposal, police commissioner S Dev Datta Singh suggested the establishment of two urban police districts (UPD)s — Bhubaneswar East and West. The proposal outlines that Bhubaneswar East would oversee 15 police stations, while West would manage 14. Currently, Bhubaneswar city has one DCP, and Singh has requested an additional DCP post.
The proposal includes creating about 2,200 new positions across various ranks, armed police force, striking force, an additional cyber crime police station, and a dedicated unit for investigating crimes against women. The estimated monthly expenditure for these additional personnel would be Rs 4.48 crore, the sources said.
"Since the establishment of Bhubaneswar UPD in 2008, the city's policing challenges have diversified, including increased crime reporting, numerous financial fraud cases, frequent law-and-order situations, regular VIP movements, and significant traffic management issues," the proposal read. The city has experienced substantial urban development, with new educational institutes, healthcare facilities, commercial centres, industrial growth, urban migration and a substantial increase in vehicles.
"The expanding urban landscape and increasing population density have led to a rise in organised crime networks, cyber crime and financial offences. The city regularly hosts demonstrations, rallies, and dharnas by people from across the state. The capital receives numerous VVIP/VIP/foreign dignitary visits," Singh's proposal highlighted.
He said that the rising number of protected persons requires continuous police arrangements. Police deployment has increased due to more protected individuals, growing number of undertrial prisoners, and increased demonstrations, festivals, strikes and public gatherings. Additionally, police control room (PCR) calls requiring response have also risen.
"There is an urgent need for separation of law and order as well as VIP duties from investigation tasks. This will help investigators to focus better on investigations and crime prevention," Santosh Swain, a retired DSP, said.