Delhi Police

The Delhi Police is the police force of India's National Capital Territory of Delhi, tracing its origin to a small security force created in 1854 under British colonial rule, formally established under the Indian Police Act of 1861, and renamed Delhi Police on 16 February 1948 following India's independence. With a sanctioned strength of more than 83,000 personnel as of 2024, it is among the largest metropolitan police forces in the world, responsible for law and order, crime investigation, traffic management, VIP security and counter terrorism across Delhi's roughly 1,484 square kilometers and its population of more than 21 million people. Unlike most police forces in India, which report to their respective state governments, the Delhi Police falls directly under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, with its Commissioner reporting to the central government rather than a state authority, a structure that reflects Delhi's status as a Union Territory rather than a full state. This direct central government control makes the Delhi Police a distinctive case among India's police forces.