BENGALURU: The third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit the city police hard as over 700 policemen have tested positive affecting day-to-day policing to a certain extent. Senior officers, however, have instructed the staff to take all necessary steps to ensure safety.
As of Sunday, 731 policemen in the city have contracted the disease. Of the 731, 38 have been discharged and there are 693 active cases currently. Cases have been reported in all divisions and units, including the Central Crime Branch. West division is the worst hit with more than 180 personnel having tested positive.
The sudden spike in the number of Covid cases among the force has pushed senior officers to put the health of the staff on priority. City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant has given clear instructions that all SOPs like sanitisation of police stations and police vehicles daily, wearing of face shields by police personnel, and maintaining physical distance from those who visit the station, should be strictly followed.
Further, it is instructed that youngsters should be sent on patrolling duties while seniors should be given station duties. If anyone tests positive, they should be isolated and all other staff must be tested. Officers of the rank of inspectors and above have been asked to inquire about the health of their staff and family members.
Despite the surge in the cases, officers say that not much has been affected in performing their duties. Speaking to TNIE, A Subramanyeswara Rao, Additional Commissioner of Police (East), said, “Most of the staff are fully vaccinated and hence they have better resistance.
A few hundreds of staff have tested positive and it has not much effect as we mobilise the staff as required. It is important to note that the crime rate in the city has also dipped due to strict vigil and night and weekend curfew”. As far as the investigation of cases is concerned, senior officers have instructed the crime staff not to go out of the state till the number of Covid cases fall.