Commissionerate system has improved police functioning: Ex-UP DGP
It was tough task to convince political masters and change the mindset to accept police commissioner system in state, says OP Singh
As police commissioner system in two cities, Lucknow and Gautam Buddh Nagar, of Uttar Pradesh successfully completes five years on Monday, the Hindustan Times had a conversation with retired UP director general of police OP Singh asking how he managed to convince the political masters to accept it.

He was also asked as to how he succeeded in changing the mindset of using police force for public benefit rather than using just as a force to overpower any person or system and counter the IAS lobby that was apparently against it, thinking it will lose the authority with the introduction of the police commissionerate system.
“Barely a couple of weeks before my retirement on January 13, 2020, I made it a point to revive the idea in a manner that it became a thriving reality and benefit common man with the new system. I had in my mind since I was made UP DGP in January 2018 to convince the political masters and change the mindset about the new system,” said OP Singh while recalling the challenges faced in introducing the police commissioner system.
“Finally, I succeeded in my intent in the backdrop of anti-Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) protests across the state in which as many as 22 people were killed after the act was passed by Parliament on December 9, 2019,” he added.
Singh said he was trying to convince the CM and others from time to time about the police commissioner system. However, it was after the anti-CAA protests when he succeeded in hitting the target finally when the Yogi Adityanath government agreed to introduce the system for better law and order and approved the setting up of the commissioner system in Noida and Lucknow, a first for the state, on January 13, 2020.
He recalled that the then UP governor Ram Naik gave a public acceptance to the police commissionerate system and advocated its implementation to further improve law and order. Singh said Naik hailed from Mumbai and he was aware of the effectiveness of the system as it was already there for a long time.
“I was surprised at his curiosity when he asked me as to why we did not go with the police commissioner system in the big cities when I went to Governor’s House to invite him for police week in December 2018,” he added.
Talking about resistance by the IAS lobby, Singh said, “It is not the matter of getting authority but as either IAS or IPS, we have to be ready to sacrifice the authority if it is interest of public and the state.”
He said he was on cloud nine with a perfect retirement gift but told his subordinate officers to treat it as a challenge rather than a reward. “With the new system in place in seven UP cities, it has improved the police functioning. People of other big cities have started expecting more prompt, coordinated police response under a unified command system,” he added.
Five years down the line, the police commissioner system has been introduced in five more cities, including Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj and Agra gradually, and is likely to be introduced in few more cities like Meerut, Bareilly and Gorakhpur.
A commissioner of police is the supreme authority for law and order situation in the city while in SSP system districts are headed by superintendents of police under the supervision of the district magistrates. In the police commissioner system, the powers of executive magistrates to regulate law and order are exercised by the police officers.
In police commissioner system, all administrative powers related to law and order, crowd control, the power of ordering use of force under different sections of Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), replacing Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), will be with the commissioner of police (CP).
Besides, the powers under as many as 15 provisions and acts will be with the CP. Earlier, all these powers were with the district magistrate.
Certain powers which were with district magistrate will now are with the police officers in the new system. Sometimes there used to be a difference of priority or opinion even while binding down people or taking preventive measures against people who are a threat to peace and law and order situation.
A government document reads the police commissioner system will help in curbing organised crime besides drugs and human trafficking, cyber-crime and lottery scam. The DM-SSP system was assessed less effective to deal with challenges like crowd management and control and damage to public as well as private property during protests or processions.
Police commissionerate Lucknow is committed to implementing law and order without any fear or bias. For five years now, we will continue to work to provide a sensitive, vigilant, alert and modern technology equipped police system. For a people-oriented police system, while constantly encouraging new efforts under community policing, participation of all stakeholders will be ensured. While controlling organised crime, we will continue to strive to uncover criminal incidents. We are confident that with our tireless efforts, we will be able to give Lucknow a safe and fear-free environment.
I have witnessed significant changes that might be viewed in a variety of ways because I served as the police commissioner from 2020 to 2023 and as the former SSP Lucknow. Because the commissionerate is officer-oriented, they prioritise all matters and concentrate on resolving them according to zones. In the commissionerate, the CP’s role is primarily about coordination, while in the non-commissionerate, I would always go from pillar to post. The commissionerate system aids in obtaining magistrate authority which facilitates police action.”
