The Assam Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Assam in India. A regular police force was initiated in Assam by the British after the Treaty of Yandaboo to maintain the law and order. It functions under the Department of Home Affairs, Assam. The Headquarters of Assam police is situated at Ulubari in the Capital city Guwahati
Assam Police comes under direct control of Department of Home Affairs, Government of Assam. The Assam Police is headed by Director General of Police ,the current DGP of Assam Police is Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, IPS
- Assam Police forces are organized into Police Ranges, headed by an Inspector General of Police (IG) or Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) who control several Police Districts.
- The Police District is the fulcrum of state police activity and each Police District of the state is headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP). In many states an SP is assisted by one or more additional SPs and DSPs. Generally a Police district is same as a revenue district of a state.
- The Police District is divided into Police Sub-Divisions and will be under the command of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) or Subdivision Police Officer (SDPO).
- The Police Sub-Division is made up of one or more Police Circles, and is under the command of an Inspector of Police, often referred to as the Circle Inspector (CI).
- Under the Police Circles are the police stations, generally under the control of a Sub-Inspector (SI).
Assam state police force also maintains its own Reserve Armed police force,Special Armed Police and Armed Police) which is responsible for emergencies and crowd control issues. They are generally activated only on orders from the Rank of DIG and higher-level authorities. The armed constabulary do not usually come into contact with the general public unless they are assigned to VIP duty, Insurgency operation, Riot control or to maintain law and order during fairs, festivals, athletic events, elections, and natural disasters. They may also be sent to quell outbreaks of student or labour unrest, organised crime, and communal riots; to maintain key guard posts; and to participate in anti-terrorist operations. Depending on the type of assignment, the Armed Police force may carry only lathis or lethal weapons.
Assam Police also have an Elite Commando Group known as Black Panther equipped with Latest weapons and technology for Anti-Terrorist Operations & VVIP protection.
With the growth and development of the police administration in the post-colonial era, a number of new branches were established to meet the increasing demands of law and order and also of a peculiar situation obtained in the state, such as the large-scale infiltration of the foreign nationals from across the border causing a serious imbalance in the demographic structure of the state and threatening national security. Some of these branches are:
- Bureau of Investigation (Economic Offenses)
- Special Branch
- Criminal Investigation Dept.(C.I.D)
- Assam Police Border Organization
- Assam Police Radio Organization
- Assam River Police Organization
- Directorate of Forensic Science. Assam
- Village Defense Organization.
- Fire & Emergency Services, Assam
- Assam Police Highway Patrol Unit, (to be Introduced)
The Assam Police has grown from strength to strength during the last two decade. In 1980 it had a force of 40,290 and at the end of the 20th century its numerical strength stands at 60,721
