Previously, only four cities had the Commissionerate system of policing: Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai.
Now, it will be implemented in Lucknow and Noida of Uttar Pradesh.
In the Commissionerate system, the Commissioner of Police (CP) is the head of a unified police command structure, is responsible for the force in the city, and is accountable to the state government.
The system gives more responsibilities, including magisterial powers, to IPS officers of Inspector General of Police (IG) rank posted as commissioners.
Mechanism
Policing is based on the Police Act of 1861.
Under the colonial system, the overall in-charge of a district or region was the district collector; the SP reported to him.
But under the Commissionerate system, the commissioner does not report to the District Magistrate.
Under the 7th Schedule of the Constitution, ‘Police’ is under the State list, meaning individual states typically legislate and exercise control over this subject.
In the arrangement in force at the district level, a ‘dual system’ of control exists, in which the Superintendent of Police (SP) has to work with the District Magistrate (DM) for supervising police administration.
At the metropolitan level, many states have replaced the dual system with the Commissionerate system, as it is supposed to allow for faster decision-making to solve complex urban-centric issues.
Where
Almost all states barring Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, UT of J&K, and some North eastern states have a Commissionerate system.
The British brought the system first in Kolkata and followed it in Mumbai and Chennai presidencies.
Delhi turned into a Commissionerate during the Morarji Desai regime.