The first specific Jammu & Kashmir police force came into existence in the year 1873 with one police officer known as Kotwal and 14 Thanedars for Srinagar City. This police force would control crime and take care of law and order situations with help of Chowkidars and Harkars, who were paid by the population out of their annual agricultural produce on a voluntary basis.
It was in 1913 that the state requisitioned the service of an Imperial Police (IP) officer on deputation and appointed Mr Broadway as the first Inspector General of Police in June, 1913. He continued to be Police chief up to 1917 and was followed by other IP officers.
Since then the Police in J/K has undergone several re-organizations, The employee strength of Police in J&K in the year 1889-90 was 1040, which further rose to 1570 in the year 1903 and forty years later, in 1943-44, the strength of J&K Police was 3179 and at present it has exceeded 83000 mark. The present strength of Kashmir Zone is more than 20000.
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