View source for Kolkata police

{{short description|Municipal Police Force in West Bengal, India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox law enforcement agency
|agencyname      = Kolkata Police Force
|nativename      = 
|nativenamea     =
|nativenamer     =
|commonname      = Kolkata Police
|abbreviation    = KP
|fictional       =
|patch           =
|patchcaption    =
|logo            = Kolkata_Police_Logo.png
|logocaption     = [[Insignia]] of Kolkata Police
|badge           =
|badgecaption    =
|flag            =
|flagcaption     =
|imagesize       =
|motto           =
|mottotranslated =
|formedyear      = 1866
|formedmonthday  =
|preceding1      =
|dissolved       =
|superseding     =
|employees       = 35000
|volunteers      =
|budget          = {{INRConvert|1727.0843|c}} <small>(2021-22 est.)</small><ref>{{cite web|date=Feb 5, 2021 |title=Detailed Demands For Grants For 2021-22 |url=http://wbfin.nic.in/writereaddata/Budget_Publication/2021_bp3.pdf |access-date=Feb 6, 2021}}</ref>

|legalpersonality =
|country         =
|countryabbr     =
|national        =
|federal         =
|international   =
|divtype         = Police area
|divname         = [[Kolkata]], [[India]] {{flagicon|India}}
|divdab          =
|subdivtype      =
|subdivname      =
|subdivdab       =
|map             = 
|mapcaption      = Kolkata Police Jurisdiction Area
|dmap            =
|sizearea        = {{convert|311|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}
|sizepopulation  = 45,80,544 (within 200.71 km**)
|legaljuris      =
|governingbody   =
|governingbodyscnd =
|constitution1   = [http://www.lawsofindia.org/pdf/west_bengal/1866/1866WB4.pdf The Calcutta Police Act, 1866 & Calcutta (Suburban Police) Act, 1866]
|police          = Yes
|local           =
|military        =
|paramilitary    =
|provost         =
|gendarmerie     = Yes
|religious       =
|speciality1     =
|secret          = 
|overviewtype    =
|overviewbody    =
|headquarters    = 18, Lalbazar Street, Kolkata 700 001
|hqlocmap        =
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|sworntype       =
|sworn           =
|unsworntype     =
|unsworn         =
|unsworntype1    =
|unsworn1        =
|multinational   =
|electeetype     = Minister
|minister1name   = [[Mamata Banerjee]]
|minister1pfo    = [[Department of Home (West Bengal)]]
|chief1name      = [[Soumen Mitra]] <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/anuj-sharma-appointed-new-kolkata-police-chief/articleshow/68061970.cms|title=Anuj Sharma appointed new Kolkata police chief - Times of India|website=The Times of India|access-date=2019-02-19}}</ref>
|chief1position   = [[Police Commissioner of Kolkata|Commissioner]]
|parentagency    = [[Department of Home (West Bengal)]]
|child1agency    =
|unittype        =
|unitname        =
|officetype      =
|officename      =
|provideragency  =
|uniformedas     =
|stationtype     = Police Station
|stations        = 79 <ref>http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Kolkata-to-get-eight-more-police-stations/articleshow/38039369.cms</ref>
|website         = [http://www.kolkatapolice.gov.in/ www.kolkatapolice.gov.in]
|footnotes       = 
|reference       =
}}

[[File:Kolkata police Traffic Sergeant Picture.png|thumb|A Kolkata Police traffic sergeant with the newly-owned Harley Davidson in front of [[Raj Bhavan, Kolkata]]]]
The '''Kolkata Police Force''' ('''KPF''') is one of the three presidency [[police force]]s of the [[India]]n [[States and union territories of India|state]] of [[West Bengal]]. Kolkata Police has the task of policing the metropolitan area of [[Kolkata]] (formerly [[Calcutta]]), [[India]], as defined under the Calcutta Police Act, 1866 and the Calcutta Suburban Police Act, 1866. The primary functions of the forces are maintaining law and order in the city, traffic management, prevention and detection of crime and co-ordinating various citizen-centric services for the people of Kolkata. As of 2018, Kolkata Police has 8 divisions covering 79 police stations. It has a strength of approximately 35,000 and a territorial jurisdiction of 243&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (approx). There are 8 battalions of armed forces as well as specialised branches. The force also uses various modern technologies for effective handling of unconventional crimes, terrorism and related activities.

==History==

===Early years (17th century)===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Kolkata Police HQ Lalbazar.png|thumb|left|Kolkata Police HQ at Lalbazar Street]] -->
The history of the present structure of policing in [[Kolkata]] goes back to East India company times, when the city was known as "Calcutta", and was an early settlement of the [[English East India Company]]. Calcutta was founded on the eastern banks of the [[Hooghly River|Hooghly]] by an Englishman, [[Job Charnock]] in 1690. Policing in Calcutta's earliest days was confined to the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] administration and their local representatives. Bengal was still technically a part of the Mughal Empire, but the [[Nawabs of Bengal]], based in [[Murshidabad]] in [[South Bengal|Northern South Bengal]], were its effective rulers. The watch and ward functions were entrusted to a ''Kotwal'' or town prefect who had 45 peons under him, armed with traditional weapons like staves and [[spear]]s, to deal with miscreants.<ref>{{cite web|title=Origins of Kolkata Police|url=http://www.kolkatapolice.gov.in/Origin.aspx|publisher=Kolkata police|access-date=27 April 2014}}</ref>



==References==

<references />
* "Evolution of the Calcutta Police: A Calcutta Police presentation on the occasion of the Calcutta Tercentenary, 1990", Calcutta Police, 1990

==External links==

{{commons category|Kolkata Police}}
* {{Official website|http://www.kolkatapolice.org/}}

{{Law enforcement in India}}


[[Category:Organisations based in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Kolkata Police Force| ]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1856]]
[[Category:1856 establishments in British India]]
[[Category:Police Commissionerate in West Bengal]]

{{en-Wikipedia}}