Kolkata Police will start disciplinary parades every 15 days in all police divisions to instil discipline and improve teamwork.
All divisions of the city police have been asked to organise a muster parade every fortnight, to be attended by personnel of all ranks.
Police commissioner Ajay Nand passed the instructions on Tuesday.
According to sources, such parades are usually held by the military to maintain discipline in the force.
Many in the city police said this was something new to the officers of Kolkata Police.
“In every contingent, a commander and an inspecting officer would check the uniform and postures of the police personnel attending the parade,” said an officer.
The divisional deputy commissioners are likely to serve as the inspecting officers.
Sources said the decision was taken following complaints about alleged lack of crowd management skills and teamwork among sections of the police. “It has been observed during law-and-order situations and various police deployments that personnel from different divisions, especially the unarmed branch, often lack teamwork, crowd-management ability and other skills required to handle such situations,” a senior Kolkata Police officer said.
Sources said the parade was being introduced in a bid to improve “discipline, command and control and morale of the police force” and to enhance their knowledge and skills and inculcate the “right kind of attitude” towards handling situations.
Colleagues from the same unit will be together in the parade.
According to the instructions issued by the police commissioner Nand, “Each division shall organise a muster parade every fortnight, followed by brief training sessions on crowd management and team building exercises.”
Sources said a register would be maintained in all divisions to keep track of personnel attending the parades.
Sources said senior officers of all five police divisions in Calcutta have initiated the process of identifying a ground in their jurisdiction where the parade can be organised.
Police personnel from the rank of homeguards up to sub-inspectors are likely to participate in the parades.