The Central Police Headquarters (Colaba) was established in 1840 after the dissolution of the Colaba State by the British. The administrative building and residential land for the Police Headquarters were acquired/purchased from the Shri Ram Mandir Temple and Rao Bahadur Shri. Warde. The then Police Officer and Staff Residences in the Headquarters were built before 1871, while 72 residences in front of the Hirakot Lake were newly built in 1872. The Quarters Guard, Cloth Store, Armory and Reserve Police Inspector, Office Building in the Headquarters were rebuilt in 1911. The residence of the Superintendent of Police was also in the Police Headquarters till 1904. Shri. K.C. Bushton was the last Superintendent of Police to have a residence in the Headquarters.
Considering the geographical and naval importance of Raigad district, in 1869, Thane district was divided and Colaba district was created and Alibaug became the headquarters. The posts of Superintendent of Police and Collector were newly created for the district. Captain C.D.P. Paine, who worked in the year 1873, developed the police headquarters and created discipline under the department. The post of RPI HQ was approved on 12/06/1974 and the post of RSI HQ was approved on 27/09/1990 as per the government decision.
Many police officers/officers of Colaba district have performed their brilliant duty by risking their lives in the First and Second World Wars, Hyderabad and Goa Liberation Struggles. Two office bearers of the district have performed their duty as boxing coach and drill instructor in the state of Goa from April/1965 to April/1968.
Firing ranges for police officers/employees for firing practice were first established at
- Culaba Fort
- Pokhran, Thane District
- Karjat
- Pen
- Parahurpada: Alibagh
In response to Lokmanya Tilak’s appeal, a public Ganeshotsav has been started at the police headquarters since 1898. Even today, on the day of Vijayadashami, the following festivals are celebrated in the headquarters in a traditional manner: looting of one’s gold, Shastrapujan, Holikotsav, Narali Pournima and Dahihandi. Since the headquarters was formerly a wasteland on the coastal forest, there are monuments of women who committed Sati before the 18th century at various places in the headquarters.
Due to the restrictions of the magnetic observatory, there was no electricity in Alibag until 1970. Around 100 attractive iron poles were erected during the British era for electric lighting in the premises of the administrative building and residences of the headquarters. On a daily basis, 2 officials used to carry oil lamps through 2 government redis and regularly light the lamps on the iron poles in front. The same redis were used to water the trees in the headquarters with water from the pond in Ramnath. The game of government redis at the headquarters was also organized once a year.
In the year 2021, the Superintendent of Police, working with the aim of making it convenient for the police headquarters and adding to the beauty of the grounds, has built the fort in Jambhya Dagad with great effort and dedication.
