Since taking charge as the Kolkata police commissioner on January 31, Supratim Sarkar has established a rigorous new routine of “Saturday surprises” to overhaul the city’s law enforcement culture. Exactly one week after his appointment, on February 7, the commissioner traded his uniform for plainclothes to test the responsiveness of his own force.
Posing as a common man who had lost his mobile phone at Paddapukur, he walked into the Ballygunge police station to gauge the reaction of the officers on duty. He was first attended to by an assistant sub-inspector who listened patiently to his “complaint”, only for a nearby sub-inspector to eventually recognise him and whisper “CP” to his colleague.
Continuing his undercover rounds into the midnight hours, Sarkar visited the Survey Park police station, where officers similarly provided a professional hearing before the word of his presence began to spread through the department’s grapevine. While noting that there is always room for improvement, Sarkar told the media he was “glad as a part of the force” to see his officers treating citizens with dignity.
From the very beginning, Sarkar has emphasised the need for a strong police presence on the city’s streets—not just one or two officers, but in significant numbers.
By the following Saturday, February 14, the commissioner’s focus shifted from the front desks of police stations to the visible presence of boots on the ground. Coinciding with Valentine’s Day, Sarkar took to the streets to inspect major intersections and shopping malls, ensuring that his directives from a recent crime repression meeting were being strictly implemented. He said the goal is not for officers to remain stationary but to maintain active mobile patrolling so that any citizen in distress can find an officer nearby. He visited various major intersections and shopping malls across Kolkata.
Key priority among all other things
Placing a special emphasis on women’s safety as his “key priority among all other things”, Sarkar deployed specialised teams of female officers to patrol public spaces.
About four days ago, during a monthly crime repression meeting, Sarkar instructed Kolkata police officials and station officers to ensure visible patrolling in various areas during peak hours.
“We are trying to ensure that as many Kolkata Police personnel as possible are visible on the streets. Officers of all ranks must be present on the ground,” he said.
“We must ensure that if anyone faces trouble while out on the street, they can find a police officer nearby. However, the police will not remain stationary in one spot,” said Sarkar. He stressed the importance of mobile patrolling, noting that during festive seasons, it is vital to ensure everyone can travel safely.
“Our priority is to make every citizen feel safe. We want to ensure that if any woman faces an issue, she receives our help immediately. We are always by their side. This patrolling is meant to make them feel secure while out in public. Women’s safety is our key priority among all other things,” he said.
Unprecedented crisis of trust
It was in 2024 that, in the wake of the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder, the police faced an unprecedented crisis of trust. The force was at the centre of a public firestorm, with then commissioner Vineet Goyal facing allegations of mishandling the initial investigation. This institutional trauma left the force “facing the brunt” of national outrage, as citizens questioned the very department’s commitment to protecting women.
Many believe the new commissioner is attempting to transform the image of the police force too.
Sarkar also said the goal is to maintain a visible police presence throughout the day and across all locations, rather than just at specific times or intersections.
As he was on the street, six people accused of theft were arrested in two cases on the same day. Four of the arrested were from Gujarat. The other two were residents of the Entally area in Central Kolkata.