New police station rules in Maharashtra: Crime will now decide police manpower

Maharashtra has revamped its guidelines for police stations, linking their size to crime rates, population and policing needs, moving away from a framework established in 1960. New stations outside Mumbai's jurisdiction will be categorized as A, B or C, with each category dictating its personnel count. A stations would be found at district headquarters, major pilgrimages, or areas with over 400 offenses, while B stations would be in taluka headquarters or locations with 200 to 400 offenses, industrial hubs, major railways or areas prone to protests.

C stations would be in areas with 150 to 200 offenses. Existing Mumbai stations are already A-category due to high population density and changing crime patterns. Each category has a different personnel count under a commissionerate: A with 166, B with 149, and C with 100 personnel, including a 10% reserve for contingencies. Mumbai itself falls under the A-category due to its dense population, migration and evolving crime trends. The government did not specify the number of new A, B or C stations to be established.