Tamil Nadu Police
| Tamil Nadu Police Tamiḻ Nāḍu Kāval Tuṟai | |
|---|---|
Logo of Tamil Nadu Police | |
| Motto | Truth Alone Triumphs |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | September 6, 1859 |
| Employees | 111,897 (2020) |
| Annual budget | ₹133.52 billion (US$1.6 billion) (2025-26) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Tamil Nadu, India |
| Map of Tamil Nadu Police Department's jurisdiction | |
| Size | 130,058 km2 (50,216 sq mi) |
| Population | 72,147,030 (2011) |
| Legal jurisdiction | Tamil Nadu |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Overseen by | Department of Home, Prohibition and Excise, Government of Tamil Nadu |
| Headquarters | Kamarajar Salai, Mylapore, Chennai |
| Minister responsible |
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| Agency executive |
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| Child agency | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Tamil Nadu Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is headquartered in Chennai. It functions under the Home Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. It is headed by Director General of Police, who is assisted by other police officers.
The Tamil Nadu Police consists of three functional units–Law & Order, crime, and traffic. There are several other special units, which carry out dedicated function. For administrative purposes, it is organised into four zones, which are further sub-divided into 11 ranges, and encompasses 39 districts (excluding Chennai and includes two railway police districts). The major cities have Police Commissionerates, which there are nine including the Greater Chennai Police.
The precursor to the modern Tamil Nadu Police began during the British Raj, when the Madras Police was established in 1859. After Indian Independence in 1947, it came under the Madras Province, and was renamed Tamil Nadu Police in 1969.
As of 2022, there are 1,302 Law and Order Police Stations, 202 All Women Police Stations, 243 Traffic Police Stations, 47 Railway Police Stations, 27 Police Out Posts, and 30 Traffic Investigation Wings. In 2021, there were 118,881 personnel in the Tamil Nadu Police against a sanctioned strength of 133,198 personnel.