JAIPUR: The city has witnessed an exponential increase in its population, but the number of policemen guarding people and their properties is woefully short.
For an estimated population of over 30 lakh, there are only 10,419 cops in the police commissionerate. This means there is one policeman for nearly 300 people in the city
As per the figures accessed by the TOI, there are 12,459 sanctioned posts of which only 10,419 are filled while 2,040 are vacant. As large patches of agricultural plots have turned into new urbanised localities, city police force is yet to be replenished with strength, proportional to its requirement.
A total of 663 posts for sub-inspectors (SIs) is sanctioned for the commissionerate, but the city police has only 208 SIs available for the duty as 455 posts are vacant.
The difference between sanctioned posts and vacancies is slightly better in the assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) category where 527 ASIs are present against 706 sanctioned posts. There is still a vacancy for 179 ASIs.
Both SIs and ASIs are crucial for the seamless operation of a police station in the city where many thanas have confounding jurisdictions spread over large areas.
Similarly, there is a sanctioned vacancy for 2,322 head-constables (HCs) while their present strength is 1,815. In fact, barring posts reserved for IPS, there is a dearth of staff at all other levels.
With recently set up police stations in Ramnagariya and Malpura Gate, and several others in the pipeline, the present strength is overstretched. A senior official of the commissionerate said Jaipur police has to patrol highways and alleys that criss-cross the city. The same force has to also guard VIPs, high-security areas, and present at crucial traffic points.
“The city police’s mandate as force guarding the state capital includes multiple challenges. For that, the police have to make its presence felt in all areas,” the official said.
