The death on Wednesday of a 37-year-old police constable in Hyderabad, after testing positive for coronavirus on May 15, has the police force across the State worried.
Police personnel on the ground are now worried about their health and lives. While the stress has been there since the pandemic and lockdown duties began, the situation is now only exacerbated.
Part of the problem, several field-level officials told The Hindu , is that communication between higher officials and ground staff is one-way, with instructions being issued from above frequently and feedback from the policemen not reaching top officials. “Senior officials are holding conferences regularly to give instructions, but are least bothered about taking feedback from us,” a sub-inspector said.
He said they were asked to conduct vehicle check and verify documents of motorists on road to enforce lockdown daily, which exposed them more to coronavirus.
“What is not coming to light is the stress that policemen are going through, thanks to unruly people who took their free movement for granted during previous lockdowns which had a very few relaxations,” the officer said, adding that the force was having to bear the brunt in the form of continuous work.
While officials insist that masks and other necessary prerequisites have been provided to all field staff on duty, sub-inspectors and other lower-cadre officers are afraid that the extreme levels of exposure to the public increase the chances of their contracting the virus.
“Yes, they have provided us with masks, hand sanitisers, hand gloves and bottles of juice to boost our immunity, despite that he (constable) died. The field staff are at high risk when compared to senior officials,” another sub-inspector with Cyberabad Police Commissionerate said.
Senior officials should come up with a strategy to prevent more cases and deaths among the police force, he said.
