Julio Francis Ribeiro

Julio Francis Ribeiro is a retired police officer and civil servant. He was the 21st commissioner in Mumbai. He led many responsibilities throughout his career. 

He led the Punjab force during the Sikh riots in Punjab and survived two assassination attempts. He is a Padma Bhushan awardee, India’s third-highest civilian award for his services. He later published his book ‘Bullet For Bullet; My Life As A Police Officer,’ having an autobiographical tone with his rich experiences of years. He has had 36 years long service since 1953.

Julio Ribeiro – Personal Life

He was born in Bombay in 1929. He is married to Melba Ribeiro and has two children.  He currently lives in Mumbai. He sometimes insisted officers stay with him in his home to discuss plans. He was always willing to learn and grow. He had exceptional communication skills to negotiate. He made sure that social harmony was not harmed in any practice by the police.

Julio Ribeiro – Career

His career started in 1953 as an SDPO in Kolhapur. He soon rose in positions due to his intelligence in handling issues. He is known to be extremely brave and calm. From 1973 to 1979, he worked with the Central Reserve Police Force. Later he took charge as commissioner of police in Mumbai.

He had a particular skill to deal with riots. He managed to end the Punjab insurgency without causing much controversy. ‘Operation Black Thunder’ and ‘Operation Blue Star’ were successful. While serving as police commissioner of Mumbai, he also managed to keep peace inside Mumbai. He always tried to prevent the interference of political interests in the police department. He always knew putting up a smile and working for peace is the key to people’s hearts rather than coming with force. He requested to limit the transfer of police officers, which came from political pressures. 

He was obedient to his seniors and a fantastic leader to his juniors. He is known as the super cop that never loads the rifle. He also worked with the Secretary of Government of India and the Ministry of Home Affairs. He was also a non-executive director of a pharmaceutical company and the director of IIT Corporates Services Ltd.

Later in his service, he was appointed as an adviser to the Punjab Governor. He became the ambassador to Romania after retiring from service. He had faced two assassination attempts in 1986 and 1991. Khalistan Commando Force claimed the first one. The second assassination attempt was in Romania by shooters, later identified as Punjabi Sikhs.

Julio Ribeiro – Achievements

Julio Francis Ribeiro was a retired police officer and civil servant. He was the former Mumbai police commissioner and DGP of Punjab. ‘Hindu’ of Madras addressed him as India’s Man Of The Year. American journalists and publications also praised his achievements in controlling the Punjab insurgency. Of his excellent qualities as a police officer and person, he was named India’s first ‘Super Cop.’He was awarded Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, for his services in 1987.

Bullet For Bullet – My Life as a Police Officer

Bullet for bullet; My life as a police officer was Julio Ribera’s published autobiography mentioning his 36-year service experience. He describes his primary service time as an SDPO of Nasik in Kolhapur at the beginning of the book. Those times sharpened the police officer in him. Because of that, he shared his doubts about the short SDPO posting to current officers. He claims those SDPO and SP postings are crucial to developing as a police officer who will be beneficial to the society.

He was always attentive to human psychology, and it helped him inside and out of the police department. Like once he mentioned, he always wanted to win peace over riots. He says incidents from his teenage years to highlight his soft side to human relations and rights. He mentioned the unwanted political interference in police departments and how much he hated it. He mentioned how the rivalry inside the department between officers made him think of quitting the service. 

Julio Ribeiro was a flexible police officer. He knew how to deal with different situations. He understood the need for force in some places and negotiation in others. He had unique tactics for controlling riots. He believed the protestors were always loud in the crowd, never as individuals. So, breaking that anonymity is the key to succumbing to a riot. 

He was the bridge between police and people at times. He used to go for collector meetings even in his DIG ranks. Julio Ribera’s autobiography is a little bulky but a good read. The book is a chronologically explained collection of events. It is an excellent read for every aspiring police officer and for everyone to understand the struggles of being a cop in a highly volatile society.

Conclusion

Julio Francis Ribeiro is a retired police officer and civil servant. He was the former police commissioner in Mumbai and DGP of Punjab. He was awarded Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award for his services. He is India’s first ‘Super Cop.’ He had served many roles in his service and after retirement. He published an autobiography sharing his experiences in his 36 year-long services. Julio Ribeiro’s book is named ‘Bullet for bullet; My life as a police officer.’