Project:Sandbox

The Uttar Pradesh Police (IAST: Uttara Pradeśa Pulisa), often abbreviated as UP police, is the law enforcement agency of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh headquartered in Gomti Nagar Extension,Lucknow Uttar Pradesh, Previously was in Prayagraj (Allahabad) Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh Police is headed by a director general of police (DGP) ranked IPS officer. The current DG of Uttar Pradesh Police is Devendra Singh Chauhan,IPS.UP police is the largest police force in the world. It was formed in 1863 as the Office of the inspector general of police, United Provinces under the Police Act, 1861. Uttar police is the governed by Department of Home and Confidential of उत्तर प्रदेश शासन.

History
The present police system in the country was created following the recommendation of the Police Commission headed by H.M. Court in 1860 and was enacted as Police Act of 1861. H.M. Court became the first inspector general of police of the then North West Province and Avadh which comprised the territory of the present state of Uttar Pradesh. The Police structure was erected in the form of the following eight organizations:


 * Provincial Police
 * Government Railway Police
 * Municipal Police
 * Cantonment Police
 * Town Police
 * Rural and Road Police
 * Canal Police
 * Barkandaj Guard (to protect the courts)

The Civil Police too continued to grow and Mr. B.N. Lahiri was the first Indian Inspector General of Police of Uttar Pradesh after independence. The performance of the state police in the spheres of Crime control and maintenance of law and order was highly appreciated, due to which it had the proud privilege of being the first police force in the country to receive the President's Color on 13 November 1952 by the then Prime Minister of India, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. Various specialized wings of the U.P. police have since come into existence for combating organized crimes, economic offences, terrorism, etc.

Organisation
A director general of police heads the state police. He is assisted by many police officers. State police headquarters is situated in Lucknow.

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 additional director 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 either inspector general of police or deputy inspector general of police. Each police range is constituted by around 2 to 4 districts.

There are totally 75 police districts in the state. In each district the head of the police is the 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. The number of Addl. SPs 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, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Meerut, Allahabad is considerably more than other districts. Whereas in smaller districts like Baghpat, Kannauj, Mahoba, Chandauli the number of the PPS officers 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 subdivided 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 grown 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. Commissionerates There are currently 4 police commissionerates under UP Police -

Lucknow City Police Kanpur Nagar Police Commissionerate Varanasi Police Commissionerate Gautam Buddha Nagar Police Commissionerate In the police commissionerate system, the Commissioner of Police (CP) in the rank of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) heads the district police department or commissionerate.

In Lucknow (City), the CP is assisted by 2 Joint Commissioners of Police (JCPs) in the rank of IG, and in Gautam Buddh Nagar, the commissioner is assisted by 2 Additional Commissioners (Addl. CPs) in the rank of DIG who look after Law and order while other looks into Crime & Headquarters. Under them, there is a team of IPS & PPS officers who are posted as DCPs and ACPs. Three DCPs are posted in a zone. One DCP's insignia is the state emblem above one star, who is senior to the other two DCPs, whose insignia is one state emblem only. Under the DCPs work ACPs, who are the chiefs of various circles. They are vested with the powers of the executive magistrate for criminal cases.

Police Commissionerates are independent of zonal & range police chiefs supervision. They are also vested with powers of an executive magistrate under various acts

Unit/wings
Organizational structure of UPP.

The various units/wings of the UP police are:
 * 1) Training Directorate
 * 2) Criminal Investigation Department (CID)
 * 3) Special Enquiry Cell
 * 4) Anti Corruption Organization (ACO)
 * 5) Human Rights Cell (HRC)
 * 6) Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS)
 * 7) Intelligence Department (ID)
 * 8) Economic Offences Wing (EOW)
 * 9) Crime Cell
 * 10) Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT)
 * 11) Technical Services
 * 12) Government Railway police (GRP)
 * 13) Dial 100 Service)
 * 14) Special Task Force (STF)
 * 15) Uttar Pradesh Fire Service
 * 16) Traffic Directorate
 * 17) Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC)
 * 18) Special investigation team (SIT)
 * 19) Radio Headquarter of police

Controversies
The Uttar Pradesh Police has been accused of its record of human rights violations due to political pressure.[citation needed]

Equipment
Most of the weapons in service with the Uttar Pradesh Police are locally produced by the Indian ordnance factories controlled by the Ordnance Factories Board, the police also inducts various weapons imported by the Ministry of Home Affairs as part of modernisation plans.

As per the 2017 audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Uttar Pradesh Police has a shortage of 45,047 handguns and an excess of 56,298 rifles.

48%, 58,853, of the 1.22 lakh (122,000) rifles available to the state police are of point-303 bore category, which was rendered obsolete by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1995.

Weapons of the UP Police also include:
 * Baton Wooden standard issue weapons
 * IOF .32 Service revolver currently being phased out as standard issue sidearm
 * Pistol Auto 9mm 1A 9×19mm Parabellum Standard Issue sidearm as service weapons to inspectors and higher ranks as well as to selected constables
 * Glock 17 9×19mm Parabellum
 * Sten Submachine gun 9×19mm Parabellum mostly replaced by 9mm SAF Carbine 1A1
 * SAF Carbine 1A1 9×19mm Parabellum
 * Heckler & Koch MP5 9×19mm Parabellum
 * Short Magazine Lee–Enfield Mk III rifle .303 British
 * Ishapore 2A1 Rifle 7.62×51mm NATO
 * 1A Self Loading Rifle 7.62×51mm NATO
 * AK 47 7.62×39mm M43
 * INSAS Rifle 5.56×45mm NATO
 * OFB LMG 7.62×51mm NATO L4A1 variant
 * Amogh carbine 5.56×30mm MINSAS

Social Media Command and Research Center
A social media command and research center has been established in Meerut. The center monitors trends in social media that can have impact on law & order situation and advises concerned district and range police chiefs.