Kerala rethinks policing: Sub-Inspectors to run stations as circle system faces return

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Police Chief Ravada Chandrasekhar has submitted a proposal to the government recommending the reinstatement of the traditional police circle system across the state. Under the new framework, the current practice of deploying Inspectors as Station House Officers (SHOs) will be restricted to only 63 major police stations.

The recommendation is based on a detailed study report submitted by a five-member committee led by an Assistant Director General of Police (ADGP) at the Police Headquarters.

The committee has proposed the creation of 210 police circles, effectively bringing every three police stations under the direct supervision of a Circle Inspector (CI). With this restructuring, 206 inspectors currently tied up with routine law-and-order duties will be relieved and redeployed to other specialised wings.

The panel was constituted following an internal assessment that shifting station command from Sub-Inspectors (SIs) to CIs had adversely affected ground-level policing. The study found that officers who had served up to a decade as SIs before being promoted to Inspectors were essentially performing routine station duties. Meanwhile, losing independent administrative charge of stations had significantly dented the morale and operational drive of Sub-Inspectors. Restoring station command to SIs is intended to address these systemic inefficiencies.

While SIs will regain administrative control of most local stations, regulations dictate that serious offences, including POCSO and organised crime cases, must be handled by senior ranks. Consequently, in stations where charge is handed back to SIs, investigations into grave crimes will be managed by Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs) or Inspectors from the District Crime Branch.