Thiruvananthapuram: The report submitted by the Director General of Police (DGP) to the Home Department detailing the current strength of police stations and requesting the deployment of additional personnel has gone missing from the Secretariat. Consequently, a reassessment of police strength has been initiated.

In 2017, the DGP had written to the government seeking the deployment of an additional 18,229 personnel. Surprisingly, the letter was not even opened. Recently, the Kerala Police Association once again brought to the government's attention the shortage of personnel in police stations. It was then that the Home Secretary informed the DGP that the previous recommendation was nowhere to be found.

The police force currently operates with the same strength as it did 35 years ago. The ratio of police personnel has not kept pace with the increase in the state’s population, despite officials being assigned new responsibilities. The situation at present is such that many police officials have to work up to 18 hours per day.