Kolkata: South West Police Division, popularly referred to as Behala division, consisting of Behala, Taratala, Parnasree, Sarsuna, Thakurpukur and Haridevpur police stations, is set to get its own DCP office and barracks at the S N Roy Road-James Long Sarani crossing. Though basic construction had begun earlier, it was halted due to multiple reasons. Work had begun in 2023 in earnest, said Lalbazar sources.The police on Thursday floated tenders to set up eight CCTV cameras in the office. While tenders for furniture have been completed, cops are eyeing an inauguration between Diwali and Christmas.Lalbazar sources said the construction of the new office of James Long Sarani Traffic Guard is also at an advanced stage. This traffic guard will be shifted here from the Taratala crossing.The new DCP office will be a major boost for residents of Behala, who currently have to travel to Tollygunge where the current DCP office is located. Technically, this comes under South Suburban division.“It is only natural that the DCP office should be located at a central spot in Behala,” an officer said.Once the construction is complete, the divisional cyber cell will also shift here. This will help residents lodge complaints faster.Lalbazar also plans to create state-of-the-art barracks at the same spot. This will help police keep additional forces closer to the division.“It was always difficult to go to Tollygunge to meet the area DCP even after so many years of the division being set up,” said Saptak Mukhopadhyay, a resident of Sarsuna in Behala.Police sources said a proposal for bifurcation of Haridevpur Police Station is under active consideration. “Along with a new police station for Rajdanga (by bifurcating Kasba Police Station), we also plan to set up Barisha Police Station,” a police source said.Incidentally, another DCP office — DCP South Suburban or Jadavpur’s office — has shifted from Tollygunge to Moore Avenue.Officials said that since the southern fringes of the city have a higher density of population compared to the rest of south Kolkata, arranging resources properly has been a challenge. The police also want to ensure that top officers can reach incident spots faster.“Moreover, many outsiders come to stay on the southern fringes and we need smaller units and maximum police presence to secure them,” an officer said.
