Uttar Pradesh Police - Zones, Ranges and Districts

Zones, Ranges and Districts

For the purpose of maintaining law and order in the state, the state of Uttar Pradesh is divided into 8 Police zones. Each zone is headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police who is an officer of the Indian Police Service. Each Police zone is constituted by 2 to 3 Police ranges. The following is the list of the police zones.

There are a total of 18 Police ranges in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Each range is headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police. Each Police range is constituted by around 2 to 4 districts. The following are the Police ranges in Uttar Pradesh.

There are totally 75 Police districts in the state. In each district the head of the Police is the Senior Superintendent of Police who is always an officer of the Indian Police Service. In discharge of his duties he is assisted by Additional Superintendents of Police (Addl. S.P.), Deputy Superintendents of Police (Dy. S.P.) who are officers of the Provincial Police Service/Uttar Pradesh State Police Service. The number of Addl. S.Ps and Dy. SPs varies with the size, population, police work or nature of police work in different districts. The number of Addl.S.Ps and Dy.S.Ps in districts like Lucknow, Kanpur Nagar, Agra, Varanasi, Meerut, Allahabad is considerably more than other districts. Whereas in smaller districts like Baghpat, Kannauj, Mahoba, Chandauli the number of the state police service is relatively lesser.

Typically, a police district in the state corresponds with the administrative district. Though, the head of the Police force in the district is the Senior Superintendent of Police who is always an officer of the Indian Police Service, the ultimate/final responsibility with regard to the maintenance of the law and order in the district lies with the District Magistrate who is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service. The Police district is further sub-divided into Police sub-divisions or Police Circles. A Police Circle is usually headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police. The officer heading the Police Circle/Sub-Division is designated as the Circle Officer (C.O.) in the state of Uttar Pradesh. A Police Circle is usually constituted by 2 to 4 Police Stations. Each Police Station is headed by a Police Inspector. Throughout the state of Uttar Pradesh and other states, especially in North India, there is a main Police Station in the older/main part of the city known as the Kotwali. The Kotwali covers the main or usually the older part of the town/city under its jurisdiction. Earlier, when the cities and towns were smaller and had lesser population than at present and they hadn't gown in size so much, the Kotwali covered the main town area of the cities or the districts. A police station is also called as a Thana in the local language. The officer in charge of a Police Station is designated as or called as the Station Officer (S.O.) or Station House Officer (S.H.O). He is assisted by various Sub-Inspectors, Assistant Sub-Inspectors, Head-Constables, Constables. There are also a number of Police Chowkis that come under the Police Station. A Police Chowki is under the charge of a Sub-Inspector of Police or an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police. The regular constabulary carries the bulk of normal beat policing and patrolling.

Following is list of the police zones, ranges and districts befalling under them: