Kochi: Kerala will restore Sub-Inspectors (SIs) as Station House Officers (SHOs) in the majority of police stations across the state from August 15 in a major administrative overhaul aimed at strengthening the police force, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala announced on Saturday.

Under the revised system, 414 of the state’s 478 police stations will be headed by Sub-Inspectors, while Inspectors will continue as SHOs in 64 major stations, mainly those in urban areas that handle a larger number of cases.

Chennithala announced this at the Ernakulam Press Club, where the minister launched a programme recognising media personnel as ‘Toofan Warriors’, volunteers associated with the state’s ongoing anti-drug campaign.

Chennithala said the government had decided to bring back the earlier practice of SIs heading police stations after accepting the recommendations of an expert committee. He described the move as part of a broader effort to rejuvenate and streamline the police administration.

Explaining the new arrangement, the minister said that although Inspectors currently serve as SHOs in all 478 police stations, the responsibility would shift to Sub-Inspectors in all but 64 stations from August 15. The remaining stations are those located in cities and other areas that register a comparatively higher volume of criminal cases.

He added that the change would allow even newly recruited Sub-Inspectors to head police stations, while Inspectors would instead oversee the functioning of three to four stations in a supervisory role.

Chennithala said that concerned officers would undergo appropriate training before the revised arrangement is implemented.

The Home Minister also announced measures to make police stations more citizen-friendly. Before August 15, all stations will be cleaned and repainted wherever required.

He further said the department would introduce a police audit to evaluate the performance of police stations by reviewing the number of complaints received and assessing how promptly they are disposed of.