Even the police need protection!

State top cop: If police personnel were not vaccinated, fatalities would be higher

By Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru police officials are exposed to a unique set of challenges in their day-to-day duties that can increase the risk of health problems and other occupational hazards. They also face a threat of violence all the time. However, COVID-19 is posing a new threat to them as they, like other citizens, are at risk of being exposed to the virus.

As many as 22 police officials in the city tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday when they underwent both Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) and RT-PCR tests. The tests are being regularly conducted in the wake of a rapid surge of Covid cases in the city and after a cop tested positive in Byatarayanapura police station.

Last week, 10 cops attached to KR Market police station tested positive after one of their colleagues developed Covid symptoms. Some of them were asked to quarantine themselves at home.

“Policemen are prone to contracting the infections as they have to go on patrolling duties in their respective areas. Whether these are is night restrictions or the weekend curfew, police have to deal with the public on a direct basis in high-risk situations,” a senior police officer from KR Market told News Trail.

According to data from the city police, 124 police officers have tested positive in the city since the announcement of night restrictions and weekend curfew by the Karnataka government. While six of them have recovered, 118 officers are still under treatment. According to the sources, the samples of these policemen have also been sent for Omicron testing. It is also worth noting that all the infected officials have been administered both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

One of the reasons for the spread of Covid among the police might be the fact that some of the officers fail to follow Covid Appropriate Behavior (CAB) while on duty. There are many instances where citizens have complained of police officers not wearing masks properly or flouting other norms themselves.

“Wearing a face mask protects a person, his family members and the public (from the disease). If our officials do not adhere to these basic points, then what message are we going to give to society,” a resident from Chandra Layout told News Trail.

During the second wave of the pandemic, Karnataka Police has lost 61 personnel to Covid-19 between April 1 and July 8, almost a death every day, police said. In the first wave, the data shows 104 police personnel succumbed to the viral infections between July and September 2020 across the state.

Praveen Sood, Director General and Inspector General of police said, “Vaccinations have helped our force battle the pandemic. If the personnel were not vaccinated, fatalities would have been far higher than the first wave,” he said. The difference is that police, much like other essential services such as health professionals, fire force, paramedics, and others, must respond to calls, which, in most cases, means dealing with unknown situations. Since 2020, the pandemic presents an extra element of risk to these responders, and they all recognize a need to be more diligent.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant told News Trail that his immediate focus is to ensure the safety of the city and protect his team during these tough times. “Bengaluru is fighting the new wave of the Covid- 19 pandemic. Besides, several police personnel have also tested positive and even succumbed to the virus. It is a challenge for all of us. We will continue to work with all care and more effort to ensure the safety of the city and our own personnel. As we have a detailed SOP to deal with the scenario, we also need to bring in changes in policing at this time,” he said.

With the government clamping night curfew and weekend curfew, the police headquarters have made arrangements to check its spread at every police station in the city. 60 personnel have tested Covid positive in Bengaluru West Division alone, police said on Monday.

Sanjeev Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) said, “We have instructed our men to take utmost care when they are on night and weekend curfew duty and also while interacting with complainants at the station. We are also carrying out regular sanitisation exercises to ensure our men are safe from viral infections. Also medical camps are being organised at local police stations for them.”

Even though COVID-19 has increased the level of stress for police, most are appreciative of the community support for them and their efforts, according to conversations with many officers during the past few weeks. Also, many feel fortunate to have a stable job in these tough times and, more importantly, a job that provides safety to citizens and presents them with many