IPS officer - Vikram Deshmane took over the Thane (rural) police from the predecessor - Dr Shivaji Rathod on Friday.
Earlier, Deshmane held the position of Deputy Commissioner of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). From five sub-divisions and 17 police stations, the jurisdiction of the Thane (rural) police is now limited to three Sub-Divisions including- Ganeshpuri, Shahpur and Murbad and 11 police stations which will be headed by Superintendent of Police- Vikram Deshmane.
This following elevation of the existing rural format of the Thane and Palghar police to a combined Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) commissionerate. However, the actual functioning of the newly created commissionerate headed by IPS officer- Sadanand Date, is expected to start from 1, October.
Notably, the split of Thane district into two parts had paved way for the creation of states 36th district - Palghar in 2015, leaving the Thane (rural) police with five sub-divisions Ganeshpuri, Shahpur, Murbad, Mira Road and Bhayandar under its belt. However, the Mira Road and Bhayandar division will now be part of the new commissionerate along with other divisions in the Vasai-Virar belt.
With an abysmal police-to-population ratio to tend to emergency needs, an average of 2,700 crimes were registered each year owing to the twin-city’s rapid development compared to other regions in the district putting immense pressure on the available resources.
However, it is equally important to appreciate the efforts of the Thane (rural) police led by former SP’s Dr Mahesh Patil and Dr Shivaji Rathod who redefined policing style using tech-savvy initiatives like - FIR app, online complaint’s and Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) enabled e-patrol services, setting an example for their superior counterparts in the state.
The move for commissionerate had gained ground given the increasing law and order as well as crime control challenges police have been facing in this region.
