Ahmedabad Police Stations Grapple with Severe Manpower Crunch
A significant manpower shortage is severely hampering policing efforts across Ahmedabad, with at least 35 police stations currently operating without their sanctioned second police inspector (PI). This critical shortfall is stretching officers thin and raising serious concerns over effective crime control in both residential and industrial belts, as criminal activities continue unabated.
Widespread Vacancies Across Key Sectors
In Sector-1, which encompasses 26 police stations, at least 20 are running with only one PI, as the second PI post remains vacant. Affected stations include those in Vastrapur, Sola, Ghatlodia, Gujarat University, Naranpura, Navrangpura, Vadaj, Ellisbridge, Sarkhej, Vasna, Bodakdev, Anandnagar, Paldi, Satellite, Madhavpura, Ranip, Sabarmati, Kalupur, Gaekwad Haveli, and Khadia. Similarly, Sector-2 mirrors this problem, with around 15 second-PI posts vacant out of the 22 police stations that require 44 PIs. Stations impacted in this sector are in Dariapur, Krishnanagar, Meghaninagar, Bapunagar, Gomtipur, Rakhial, Amraiwadi, Khokhra, Nikol, Odhav, Isanpur, Maninagar, Vatva GIDC, Danilimda, and Narol.
Impact on Administrative Efficiency and Field Operations
According to police sources, the absence of a second PI is now directly impacting administrative efficiency and field operations. Inspectors operating without their second-in-commands are caught between mountains of paperwork and deputing teams, a challenging task given the vast areas under their watch. Critical duties such as:
- Crime monitoring
- Investigation supervision
- Law-and-order management
- Coordination with senior officials
are being shouldered by a single officer, increasing the likelihood of delays and oversights. A senior officer admitted that this crunch is adversely affecting crime detection. "When one PI is handling everything, from paperwork to field deployment, it becomes difficult to give adequate attention to each case. Preventive policing also suffers," the officer stated.
Rising Policing Demands in Distinct Areas
The shortage comes at a time when both sectors are grappling with distinct and rising policing demands. Sector-1 comprises some of the city's busiest residential and commercial pockets, where police routinely handle cases of theft, cheating, and loot. In contrast, Sector-2 is predominantly industrial, home to a large migrant workforce and several manufacturing units—an ecosystem that frequently sees cases of assault, robbery, and theft. Officials emphasized that strengthening manpower at the PI level is essential for improving response time, ensuring better supervision, and maintaining law and order across the city.
Administrative Delays and Future Steps
Officials revealed that while proposals to fill the vacancies have been discussed, the posts remain empty due to factors such as transfers, promotions, and administrative delays. They stressed the urgent need to address this issue to bolster policing capabilities and enhance public safety in Ahmedabad.
