THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Fifteen more cyber police stations will be opened in the state and the sixth police battalion in the state will come up at Nilambur soon, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
He was inaugurating the new police station buildings at Varkala and Ponmudi and Kollam Rural command centre in Thiruvananthapuram through video conferencing on Wednesday. He said the new police battalion will be later shifted to Kozhikode once it is full-fledged.
"In the first phase, a total of 100 police personnel will be appointed in the new battalion. After three years, the strength of the personnel will be increased to 1000. Of these, half will be women. By that time, the battalion will be fully functional," Vijayan said.
25 new police sub-divisions
The state police will constitute 25 police sub-divisions in the state as part of the effective implementation of policing. Each sub-division will be led by police officers of DySP rank. At present, there are 60 police sub-divisions.
Vijayan also said that five new woman police stations will also be opened at Thiruvananthapuram Rural, Kollam Rural, Ernakulam Rural, Wayanad and Kozhikode Rural. With this, all the 19 police districts in the state will have woman police stations.
"The cyber cells functioning in the 15 police districts will be upgraded to cyber crime police stations soon. At present, the cybercrime police stations are functioning at Thiruvananthapuram city. Kochi city, Kozhikode city and Thrissur city," he added.
Social policing directorate to be established
Vijayan said a social policing directorate will also be established soon in the state headed by an officer not less than the rank of IG. "Following this, a social policing department will come into force at all the police stations in the state. Kannur district police will be bifurcated into Kannur city and Kannur Rural police. All police stations will be declared as service delivery centres," he added.
State Police Chief Loknath Behera delivered the welcome speech while ADGP (Law and Order) Sheikh Darvesh Sahib delivered a vote of thanks.