The writer at the historic Ice House police station on Dr. Natesan Road is busy attending to visitors’ complaints. Behind him, a few women police constables wait for their turn to get their leave forms approved. Further away, a few men in kakki change into regular clothes as their shift has ended.
Except for the charred vehicles and the front wall, the British-era Ice House police station is not any different from how it used to look before January 23, when a portion of it set ablaze in the agitation seeking a permanent solution for Jallikattu.
The police station has returned to its ‘routine’ functions, which include roll calls, filing crime reports, conducting enquires and the police personnel sharing food with colleagues, changing uniforms and resting during night shifts.
The burnt vehicles have not been removed. As per police records, 37 vehicles at the Ice House police station, including 18 police-duty vehicles and 8 vehicles seized as part of crime cases, were damaged on January 23.
Built in the late 19th century as a storehouse for ice from the neighbourhood by the British, the 300 sq.ft single room with a small verandah was converted into a police station in 1924 to prevent petty crimes along the coastline.
Despite such a long passage of time, the police station retains its Indo-Saracenic look. Classic elements of this style of architecture — cusped arches and Madras roof, which enables better ventilation and passage of natural lighting into the building — are intact.
According to police sources, many years ago, a brick wall was constructed behind the entrance wall of the police station to ensure the dilapidated building, especially its front wall, did not cave in at times of calamities, man-made or natural.
And, police sources say this brick wall prevented fire from spreading to the whole building. This was evident as the two small cabins for Law and Order (L&O) and Crime inspectors remain undamaged.
These cabins, made of plywood, are located at the entrance of the station. At present, the cramped police station has cabins for inspectors, a small visitors hall, a common room for office work where the entire work of the police station is carried out every day.
The station has been extended with a thatched roof to accommodate the traffic wing and have a dressing room for male constables. Between the police station building and the thatched room, a small space has been left to dump seized vehicle, mostly motorcycles.
As against the sanctioned strength of 45 policemen in the L&O and Crime wings, the station has only around half that number.
