Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh is grappling with a severe shortage of police officers, lagging far behind national average and other major states in terms of police strength. With a total police force of just 1.21 lakh officers, the state is struggling to maintain law and order effectively across its vast territory of 3.08 lakh square kilometres.
According to a recent PHQ report, the state’s police-to-area ratio stands at only 38 policemen per 100 sq km, which is less than half of the national average of 80. When compared to other major states, Uttar Pradesh leads with 173 officers per 100 square kilometres, followed by Maharashtra(78), Andhra Pradesh (46), Bihar (151), Karnataka (58), West Bengal(177), and Tamil Nadu (101), all of which outperform Madhya Pradesh in this crucial measure.
The shortage of police officers has serious implications for crime control, especially given Madhya Pradesh’s central location in the country, which makes it a hub for criminals and anti-social elements from neighbouring states. Criminals often take refuge in Madhya Pradesh and carry out crimes across state borders.
Only 138 cops for 1 lakh people
Madhya Pradesh is behind the national average when it comes to the police-to-population ratio. The state has only 138 police officers per one lakh of population, which is much lower than the national average of 194. States like Haryana (248), Jharkhand(216), Uttar Pradesh (181), Maharashtra (192), Andhra Pradesh(143), West Bengal (168), and Karnataka (166) are all much better equipped in this regard.
According to senior officials from the Police Headquarters (PHQ), a lower number of police officers per lakh population directly impacts the state’s ability to control crime. This issue is particularly problematic in Madhya Pradesh, given its large geographic area.
Top-heavy structure
Over the years, the structure of the state police force has become increasingly top-heavy, with a disproportionate growth in the number of supervisory officers compared to the number of personnel responsible for maintaining law and order and investigating crimes on the ground.
The number of IPS officers in the state rose significantly from 39 in 1956 to 173 in 2022, marking a 344percent increase. However, in the same period, the number of constables has increased by a lesser 153 percent, from 28,652 to72,698. This imbalance in growth has led to a situation where the higher ranks have grown at a much faster rate than the actual police force working at the grassroots level.
