The Delhi Police (DP) is the official law enforcement institution for the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Its history traces back to a small security force established in 1854, and it was formally part of the Punjab Police after the adoption of the Indian Police Act of 1861. The force was restructured after India's independence, and the first Inspector General of Police (IGP) for Delhi was appointed on February 16, 1948. The major problem it solved was the need for a dedicated, organized police force to manage the rapidly growing population and rising crime in the capital, especially following the influx of refugees after the Partition.
The DP's current structure and functioning are primarily governed by the Delhi Police Act, 1978. This Act introduced the Police Commissionerate System on July 1, 1978, based on the recommendations of the Khosla Commission Report of 1968. Section 3 of the Act establishes a single police force for the whole of Delhi. Crucially, the superintendence of the Delhi Police vests in the Administrator (Lieutenant Governor), and the force reports directly to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India. This unique arrangement, where the police are not under the elected Delhi government, is a consequence of Delhi's status as a Union Territory, as stipulated under Article 239AA of the Constitution.
A recent change occurred with the passage of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, which decriminalized certain minor offences under the Delhi Police Act, 1978. Specifically, Section 95, which penalized guardians for allowing a child below seven to commit public nuisance, and Section 102(c), which criminalized unexplained presence in a building or vehicle between sunset and sunrise, were omitted. This amendment aims to reduce the burden on courts by replacing criminal prosecution with steeper financial penalties for minor civic and regulatory violations. The core structure and administrative control of the Delhi Police under the MHA, however, remain unchanged.