Bengaluru: The government officially has officially introduced a new system in the Bengaluru police commissionerate. In a recent order which was implemented from Wednesday, two Additional Commissioners for Bengaluru East and West  divisions were appointed.

The Bengaluru police commiserate is now divided into two divisions and an Additional Commissioner of Police will be looking into Law and Order and Crime for each division unlike in the previous system, where two officers look after Law & Order and Crime. However both the officials will work under the Police Commissioner of Additional Director General of Police rank.

Alok Kumar, the present Additional Commissioner of Police, Law & Order  has been posted as Additional Commissioner of Police, West, (L&O, Crime) Bengaluru in the re-designated post. P Harishankaran,  the present Additional Commissioner of Police, Crime, is posted as Additional Commissioner of Police, East, Bengaluru (L&O, Crime) in the re -designated  post.

It may be noted that the state government in a recent order has given magistrate powers to four additional commissioners of police – Law and order, crime, traffic and administration, in an attempt to empower the police administration in the city.

Only the police commissioner held powers as an additional district magistrate in the city, which forced police officials across the city to come all the way to commissionerate for various cases like preventive detentions, security cases, cases under the Karnataka Police Act etc.

This pressure will be now shared by four Additional Commissioners and the officer who is incharge of L&O has the power to sanction permission for dharnas, and protests in the city. They are also entitled to issue safety guidelines to various establishments like jewellery shops, ATM kiosks, banks, and schools among others.