2,000 more police personnel for city

Senior police officials say it will be of little help immediately as an equal number of police personnel will retire by the time the new recruits join

To maintain law and order in the burgeoningcity, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday announced that Bengaluru police would get an additional 2,000 posts to strengthen the existing force at various levels.

Being short-staffed has been a longstanding grouse of the city’s law enforcement agencies, more so since Bengaluru’s boundaries as well as population have grown exponentially.

However, senior police officials said the Budget announcement would be of little help immediately to the short-staffed city force as by the time the proposed 2,000 police personnel join the service after their recruitment and training, which would take a minimum of two years, an equal number of police personnel would retire.

Other announcements

The CM also announced that four new traffic police stations had been set up in Bengaluru.

“In the current year, nine law and order police stations, five traffic police stations, and six women police stations will be established in Bengaluru,” he said. To provide a modern touch to police stations, 116 new one had been constructed at cost of Rs. 240 crore, he said.

A sum of Rs. 348 crore was spent last year (2022-23) for the construction, upgradation, and modernisation of police offices and police stations in the State. Similarly, prisons have been constructed at a cost of Rs. 410 crore and modernisation of prisons has been undertaken at cost of Rs. 51 crore.

By establishing eight Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs) in the State, the waiting period for reports had been reduced from two years to one month. FSLs would be set up in Tumakuru and Shivamogga districts at a cost of Rs. 10 crore in the current year, he added.

Mr. Bommai announced allocation to improve the traffic scenario in the city. A total 75 junctions in Bengaluru would be developed at a cost of Rs. 150 crore which would be allocated for traffic control, he said. Artificial intelligence would be used for seamless signal synchronisation and other functions.

The duty allowance of 35,000 registered Home Guards who work as an assisting force in maintaining law and order would be increased by Rs. 100 a day. An additional 1,000 personnel would be recruited to strengthen the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force, Mr. Bommai added.