Kerala Police

The law and order division is responsible for maintaining law and order in the state. The branch is headed by the Additional Director General of Police, Law & Order. The main functions of the law and order branch include maintaining law and order, preventing and detecting crime, patrolling, ensuring the safety and security of citizens, and protecting public property.

For the proper maintenance of law and order, The state of Kerala is divided into two police zones, North Zone and South Zone. each zone is headed by The Inspector Generals of Police (IGP). The office of IGP North zone is located at Nadakkavu in Kozhikkode district and the office of IGP South zone is located at Nandavanam, in Thiruvananthapuram district. Each police zones consists two police ranges, which is headed by a Deputy inspector general of police. There are four police ranges. Each police ranges consists two or more police districts[15]. There are 20 police districts in Kerala. All the police districts of Kerala are co-terminus with the boundaries of Revenue districts except six districts. The six Revenue districts which are divided into two police districts each are Thiruvananthapuram (Thiruvanathapuram city and Thrivanathapuram rural police districts), Ernakulam (Kochi city and Ernakulam Rural police districts), Kollam (Kollam city and Kollam rural police districts), Kozhikode (Kozhikode city and Kozhikode rural), Thrissur (Thrissur city and Thrissur rural) and Kannur (Kannur City and Kannur Rural).

Each police district is headed by a District Police Chief with the rank of Superintendent of Police except for Thiruvananthapuram City and Kochi City, which are headed by officers with the rank of Inspector General of Police, and Kozhikode City, which is headed by an officer with the rank of Deputy Inspector General Police. Each Police district is divided into some subdivisions to supervise activities of several police stations under its jurisdiction. There are 91 police sub-divisions in Kerala. Each sub-division is headed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) or an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in the case of city police sub-divisions.

The police officer in charge of a sub division is called Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO). DySPs or ASPs are posted as SDPOs. A sub division is further divided into Police Station areas, each of which is under an Inspector of Police designated as Station House Officer (SHO). Inspectors in charge of police stations are known as Inspector SHOs (ISHO). In small police stations sub-inspectors are appointed as SHOs. The SHO is assisted by Sub Inspectors of Police, Assistant Sub Inspectors of Police, Senior Civil Police Officers and Civil Police Officers. The section known as General Executive is working in the police stations of Kerala.[16]

Station Mobiles (Patrolling Vehicle) parked in front of the Police Station. Mahindra Bolero SUVs used for regular patrolling duties

• Police Zones are headed by an Inspector General of Police (IGPs)
• Police Ranges are headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGs)
• Police Districts are headed by a District Police Chief of the rank of Superintendent of Police (SPs)
• Thiruvananthapuram City and Ernakulam City Police districts are headed by a District Police Chief of the rank of Inspector General of Police (IG). Kozhikode City Police district is headed by a District Police Chief of the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG).
• The IGs of cities reports directly to Additional Director General of Police, L&O

A police commissionerate is a specialized police jurisdiction headed by a police commissioner who has executive and policing powers within the designated area. Kerala has seven city police districts, each headed by a commissioner of police. Thiruvananthapuram City Police and Kochi City Police[21] are headed by Commissioner of Police of the rank of Inspector General of Police. Kozhikode City Police is headed by the Commissioner of Police of the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police. Thrissur City Police, Kannur City Police[22] and Kollam City Police are headed by Commissioner of Police of the rank of Superintendent of Police. The Commissioner of Police is assisted by Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) of the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police or Superintendent of Police and Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police.[4]

Officers

• Director General of Police & State Police Chief (DGP & SPC)
• Additional Director General of Police
  (ADGP)
  
• Inspector General of Police
  (IG)
  
• Deputy Inspector General of Police
  (DIG)
  
• Superintendent of Police / Commandant
  (SP)
  
• Additional Superintendent of Police / Deputy Commandant
  (Addl.SP / DC)
• Assistant Superintendent of Police (IPS)
  (ASP)
  
• Deputy Superintendent of Police / Assistant Commandant (KPS)
  (DySP / AC)
  

Sub-ordinates

• Inspector of Police / Reserve Inspector / Armed Police Inspector
  (IP/RI/API)
• Sub-Inspector of Police / Reserve Sub Inspector / Armed Police Sub Inspector
  (SI/RSI/APSI)
• Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police / Armed Assistant Sub Inspector
  (ASI)
  
• Senior Civil Police Officer / Head Constable / Havildar
  (SCPO/HC/Hdr.)
• Civil Police Officer / Police Constable
  (CPO / PC)
  

The uniform is differs depending on the role and rank of the officer. However, the basic uniform of local police consists of a khaki shirt and trouser, brown leather shoes, lynard and a brown leather belt. The uniform also includes a black beret with a metal badge depicting the emblem of the Kerala Police. In addition to the standard uniform, the Kerala Police also has specialized uniforms for specific units like the Thunderbolts , which wears a dark blue camouflage uniform, and Traffic Police, which wears a white shirt and khaki pants uniform.[31]

• Addl. Director General of Police, Crimes
• Inspector General of Police, Crime Branch
• Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch
• Deputy Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch
• Detective Inspector
• Detective Sub Inspector
• Detective Assistant Sub Inspector
• Detective Sr. Police Officer
• Detective Police Officer

• Kerala Armed Police KAP-I
  (Thrissur)
  
• Kerala Armed Police KAP-II
  (Palakkad)
  
• Kerala Armed Police-III
  (Adoor)
  
• Kerala Armed Police-IV
  (Kannur)
  
• Kerala Armed Police-V
  (Kuttikanam)
  
• Malabar Special Police- MSP
  (Malappuram)
  
• Special Armed Police - SAP
  (Thiruvananthapuram)
  
• Rapid Response and Rescue Force - RRRF
  (Pandikkad)
  
• India Reserve Battalion (IRBn)
  (Thrissur)
  
• State Industrial Security Force (SISF)
• Armed Women Police Battalion (AWPBn)

• Additional Director General of Police (APBn)
• Deputy Inspector General of Police (APBn)
• Commandant (equivalent to SP)
• Deputy Commandant (equivalent to rank of Addl.SP)
• Assistant Commandant (equivalent to rank of DySP)
• Armed Police Inspector
• Armed Police Sub Inspector
• Armed Police Asst. Sub Inspector
• Havildar
• Armed Police Head Constable
• Armed Police Constable

Tourism Police wing has been functioning in the state for maintaining law and order, preventing attack and harassment on tourists. They also assist the tourists for getting tourist related information, guidance, etc.[34] The uniform of Tourism Police Officers is sky blue shirt and khakee pants. International Tourism Police Station and Police Museum at Mattancherry in Ernakulam district is the first of its kind in the country which not only addresses grievances of tourists but also showcases the history of the Kerala Police. The primary aim of the station is to make the state of Kerala more tourist-friendly.[35]

Coastal Police Stations handle the security of the coasts and carry out the patrolling in the sea up to 12 nautical miles. The cases reported on the sea (in the Territorial Waters) will be investigated by the Coastal Police. The headquarters of Kerala Coastal Police is situated at Kochi.

The responsibility of the Kerala Railway Police is to maintain law and order, prevent and detect crime on the railways and railway stations in Kerala.[36]

The Superintendent of Police (Railways) is under supervision of A.D.G.P (Intelligence & Railways). There are 13 Railway Police Stations in Kerala. They are located in the main Railway station premises at Trivandrum Central, Parassala, Kollam, Punalur, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam Junction, Thrissur, Shornur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod.[37]

The main objectives of Pink Patrol are to prevent violence and crimes against women and children.[38] As part of improving women safety in public places, Kerala Police has rolled out a special patrol team called pink patrol with all women police officers, patrolling across all the busy areas of the various cities of Kerala. The team has been allotted pink Maruti Suzuki sedan cars. The Pink patrol vehicles are fitted with GPS and other smart equipments for faster response and assistance as well as has on-board cameras and scanning systems to identify potential offenders.

The Highway Police is tasked with ensuring the safety and security of commuters on the highways, and to regulate and enforce traffic rules and regulations. They are tasked with enforcing traffic laws, preventing road accidents, and providing immediate attention and assistance to accident victims. In addition, the Kerala Highway Police also handle law and order issues on both state and national highways and enforce laws related to smuggling, human trafficking, and drug trafficking.[39][40] An "Operational area" and a Base Station are given to each Highway Police vehicle. From different police stations throughout the district, officers and men are assigned to the Highway Police for service. Each highway patrol vehicle will have one officer of the rank of Sub-Inspector of Police and two or more police personnel.

Narcotic Cell collects intelligence on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) and pass it on to concerned police stations according to the gravity of cases. Monitoring and Supervising cases registered under NDPS Act is also done by this wing. Abkari raids are being conducted by Narcotic Cell on information. District Narcotics Cell is functioning in all police districts, headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police, and under supervision of District Police Chiefs. District Anti Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF) functions under the narcotics cell for the enforcement operations.

State Women Cell is headed by a Superintendent of Police. In addition, One District Women Cell is also functioning in all Police Districts, each headed by a Woman Inspector. The State Women Cell is functioning at the Police Headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. The first Woman Police Station started at Kozhikode in 1973.[41]

Thunderbolts is the elite commando unit of Kerala Police. It performs perilous counter-terrorism, jungle-warfare, and hostage-rescue operations. Thunderbolts are a form of SPG and NSG, which are trained to take on air, water and land attacks.

The K9 Squad, also known as the Dog Squad, is a unit of the Kerala Police that uses specially trained dogs to assist in law enforcement activities. The K9 Squad dogs are trained in various areas such as tracking, narcotics detection, explosives detection, and search and rescue operations. The K9 Squad is involved in various activities such as providing security during VIP visits, detecting explosives at public events, and assisting in search and rescue operations during natural calamities. The K9 Squad has also been successful in detecting drugs and arresting drug traffickers. The dog squads have been set up in all fourteen districts of kerala. Kerala Police currently has 82 dogs. Of these, 41 dogs are sniffer dogs and the rest are trackers. The K9 Squad consists of various breeds of dogs such as German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Dobermans, and Belgian Malinois, among others.[42] The Kerala Police K9 Squad is considered one of the most effective dog squads in India and has received several awards and recognition for their exceptional work.[43][44][45][46][42]

The Kerala Police Academy is headed by the Director of the rank of Additional Director General of Police. The Director is assisted by Joint Directors, assistant directors, HODs,etc. The academy is situated at Thrissur. The academy will cater to the training needs of all officers of police department including IPS officers.

The head of Police Training College is Principal in the rank of Superintendent of Police. It is situated in Thiruvananthapuram. The Basic Training and In-service courses are key Training programmes carried out in PTC. Apart from giving Basic Training, many In-Service Courses such as Refresher courses, Re-orientation courses, Familiarization courses, Cader courses are also being undertaken at PTC. Basic training for Excise Inspectors, Forest Officers are also now being conducted. Training of Probationary Officers is carried out in PTC.

The Kerala Police use a variety of vehicles for their operations, including cars, SUVs, motorcycles, and buses. Here are some of them:[48][49]

The Kerala Police currently has a fleet of 402 buses, 1786 SUVs, 127 cars, etc. [50]

Mahindra Bolero, the common SUV used by the police for patrolling duties.

• Mahindra Bolero (Police station vehicle, and is used for regular patrols and for transporting personnel.)[51]
• Force Gurkha (used for patrolling in difficult terrains and used for special operations)[52][53]
• Mahindra Thar (Police Control Room Units are used as emergency response vehicles)[54][55]
• Tata Sumo (used by local police stations, officers of the rank of DySP or upper) [56]
• Toyota Innova (official vehicle of senior police officers, highway patrol vehicle, police interceptor vehicle)[57][58]

• Chevrolet Tavera (being phased out, used as control room responding vehicle)
• Mahindra TUV300 (police control room vehicle)[59]

Pink police patrol vehicle

• Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire (pink police patrol vehicle, official vehicle of senior officers)[60][61]
• Toyota Etios Liva (pink police patrol vehicle)
• Volkswagen Vento (pink police patrol vehicle)[62]

• Maruti Suzuki Ertiga (used by senior police officers)
• Tata Safari (used for VIP security)[63]
• Mitsubishi Pajero (used for VVIP Security)

• Polaris (All terrain vehicle, used by special units)[64]
• Ashok Leyland medium bulletproof vehicle (MBPV)

• 
  Thrissur City Police Control Room Vehicle in Thrissur city during the famous Thrissur Pooram festival.
• 
  Chevrolet Tavera
• 
  Mahindra Bolero, A department vehicle parked at Ponnani Police Station in Malappuram district.
• 
• 
  Kerala Police bus in kochi.
• 
  Pink police patrol vehicle at Thrissur, Kerala.
• 
  Kerala Coastal Police boat on patrol.
• 
  Kerala coastal police boat.

• Heckler and koch, MP5 sub machine gun[65]
• Glock 19, pistols [66]
• AK-47
• INSAS, Light Machine Guns
• L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle

The Government of Kerala has decided to give the rank of Senior Civil Police Officer (Grade) to Civil Police Officers (CPOs) who have completed 12 years of service in the civil police unit (local police). Senior Civil Police Officers who have completed 20 years of service will be given the rank of Assistant Sub Inspector (Grade), and Assistant Sub Inspectors who have completed 25 years of service will be given the rank of Sub Inspector of Police (Grade) or Grade SI. They will continue to carry the duties and responsibilities of the rank when they receive the honorary grade.

• Senior Civil Police Officer Grade - 12yrs of service as Civil Police Officer (CPO).
• Assistant Sub Inspector (Grade)- 20yrs of service as SCPO.
• Sub Inspector (Grade) - 25yrs of service as ASI.

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