Cabinet approves five commissionerates for Bengaluru; former officers express concern

The Karnataka Cabinet on Tuesday approved the reorganisation of the Bengaluru police commissionerate into five commissionerates, with a Chief Police Commissioner to oversee them.

The proposed overhaul has triggered a sharp debate among serving and retired police officials.

The restructuring has been proposed against the backdrop of Bengaluru’s rapid expansion and the creation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), which has divided the civic administration into five corporations. The proposed police model broadly seeks to mirror this arrangement to improve coordination between the police and civic authorities.

However, former senior police officers have questioned whether a civic structure can be directly replicated in policing, arguing that crime, law and order, traffic management and emergency mobilisation do not necessarily follow municipal boundaries.

A former DGP who served in the Bengaluru city police said the proposed arrangement could create more problems than solutions, particularly in operational policing. According to the former officer, the proposal appears to be driven partly by the desire to “accommodate senior officials seeking postings in major metropolitan centres rather than by a clearly established operational requirement”.

‘Existing command structure could be weakened’

The former DGP said the present city police structure has a clearly defined chain of command involving the Commissioner of Police, DCPs, inspectors and constables, with responsibilities and jurisdictions understood at every level. The proposed five-commissionerate system, he argued, could dilute this established structure by creating multiple command centres and overlapping responsibilities.

“The existing system has a clear chain of command. The new arrangement could make these established positions less significant and create confusion at different levels,” the former officer said.

He also warned that the mobilisation of police forces during major emergencies could become considerably more difficult. At present, the city police commissioner can mobilise forces across the entire city depending on the requirement. Under a five-commissionerate system, however, the deployment of personnel across jurisdictions could require greater coordination between several commissioners and their establishments, he said.

VIP movements could expose coordination problems

The former DGP cited the movement of high-profile dignitaries as an example.

At present, when the Prime Minister, President or other VVIPs visit Bengaluru, the city police commissioner can coordinate security and traffic arrangements across the entire route.

Under the proposed system, if a convoy passes through multiple commissionerates, each commissionerate could be required to coordinate and deploy its own personnel. The officer said this could result in duplication of manpower and unnecessary deployment of specialised units.

He cited the example of the City Armed Reserve (CAR) units, which are currently deployed and coordinated through the existing city police structure for escort and security duties.

Under the proposed arrangement, individual commissionerates could be required to deploy personnel and resources for the portions of the movement falling within their respective jurisdictions, potentially resulting in duplication of deployment and coordination.

‘Why create five establishments?’

The former officer also questioned the financial implications of creating five separate commissionerates.