[9] Delhi Police has its origin in a small security force, established in 1854, under the assistant of British Resident to the Mughal Imperial Courts.

[11] In 1978, the Delhi Police Act was passed and the Commissioner System was introduced with effect from 1 July 1978.

[11] Following the Sixth Central Pay Commission, the UPA Government, in 2008, decided to make promotions for Indian Police Service officers, even for higher ranks, time-bound.

Delhi Police, which had one Inspector General (IG) until January 1980s, now has 12 officers with ranks senior to IGPs.

[17][18][19] Over the years, Delhi Police has been involved in a series of controversies; ranging from custodial deaths, refusal to write First Information Report, inaction and collusion with arsonists during communal riots.

At various times, Delhi Police has been found to be harsher on criminals which has caused it to get warnings from the Supreme Court of India and Central Bureau of Investigation.

The Court noted that even though the charge-sheet claimed that the case was filed because the passerby were feeling bad, no one was mentioned by name.

[23] Demonstrators were baton charged,[24] shot with water cannon and tear gas shells, and arrested.

[25] In February 2020, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said that Delhi Police failed to stop violent attacks against Muslims during 2020 communal riots.

[9] Alok Kumar Verma said he will give the "utmost priority" to get government to sanction the increase in police deployment for VVIP duties.

The high police presence is supplemented with surveillance devices: 230 Close Circuit Television Cameras are located in North Avenue, South Avenue, MS MP flats, Narmada Apartment, Brahmaputra Apartment and Swarn Jayanti Complex.

This is in addition to 412 CCTVs are installed at various roads leading to ministers and MP's residences in Lutyens' Delhi.

[9] The Intelligence Bureau and the Ministry of Home Affairs are responsible for identifying and nominating persons deserving police protection.

[27] In 2012, during the tenure of the Congress(I) led government, the Intelligence Bureau nominated 332 persons for protection; in 2016, under the BJP led NDA government, the number of people identified by Intelligence Bureau and Ministry of Home Affairs for police protection shot up to 454.

A spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs dismissed allegations that the list of persons given police protection is prepared arbitrarily.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh's predecessor Sushil Kumar Shinde, had explained that the persons nominated for protection "Only on the basis of recommendations from the Intelligence Bureau (IB)...We don't do it on our own," The current list includes nine expelled Congress MLAs from Uttarakhand who revolted against Harish Rawat and joined the BJP on 18 May 2016 .