The city is breathing easy at the gradual lifting of the lockdown, but for police personnel, it’s a time of pincer-sharp surveillance. Police stations across the city have been instructed to look out for a spike in crimes targeting shoppers and office-goers.
The Maharashtra government on Thursday issued guidelines for the State, detailing the activities allowed and prohibited as part of Mission Begin Again, aimed at easing the State out of the lockdown in a step-by-step manner. Senior police officers on Thursday discussed measures to ensure that the process was conducted smoothly from a law-and-order point of view.
“The possibility of the crime rate increasing cannot be denied and this has been taken into account while deciding the deployment and other measures to be undertaken over the next few days,” said Mumbai Police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Pranaya Ashok. “If nothing else, we will have to at least keep an eye out for street crimes, especially given the condition of the economy and its impact on various strata of society.”
Police station personnel have been asked to look out for repeat offenders with a history of chain-snatching, pickpocketing, bag or cell phone theft, robbery and dacoity, besides enforcing bandobasts. Offences like drug peddling and black marketing of goods that may not be easily available at this time, have also been taken into account and agencies like the Crime Branch and the Anti Narcotics Cell are on the lookout for them, senior police officers said.
There will also be more visitors to police stations, so appropriate precautions like distancing and use of sanitisers are being stressed upon to ensure personal safety. Meanwhile, senior police inspectors of police stations and zonal DCPs are getting in touch with shopkeepers’ associations in their jurisdictions to plan the easing out of the lockdown and clear all doubts regarding the rules. Violations of the government’s orders will be dealt with by the police as well as by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in a swift and strict manner, officers said.
Mr. Ashok said manpower will not be an issue for the new tasks, even though the department is stretched during the COVID-19 crisis. The force has already lost 19 personnel to the pandemic, while those over 55 years of age have been sent on compulsory leave as a precautionary measure.
“Even though some part of the manpower is in hospital or under quarantine, a large number of our personnel have resumed duty on recovering. It is a dynamic situation and not as if manpower, once out of action, is lost forever. Further, the reinforcements provided by the State, too, will help ease out of the lockdown when it comes to enforcing law and order,” Mr. Ashok said.
