Covid: Kerala cops affected; force suffers a blow

The rising number of Covid cases in the state is not only a source of concern for the general public, but also poses a significant threat to the district’s law and order situation.
A person who came to file a complaint is having a conversation with police officers. A scene from Palarivattom police station | Albin Mathew
A person who came to file a complaint is having a conversation with police officers. A scene from Palarivattom police station | Albin Mathew

KOCHI: The rising number of Covid cases in the state is not only a source of concern for the general public, but also poses a significant threat to the district’s law and order situation. With the number of police officers infected with the virus on the rise, the department is having difficulty deploying a sufficient number of officers on duty to maintain law and order issues on its own.

As per the data sourced from the Ernakulam Rural and City police, 89 police officers, including a top officer, are already infected with the virus and they also fear the number may more than triple in a week. Some of the police stations in the district are on the verge of closure as the majority of the officers were infected with the virus.

“Nearly 17 police officers in Perumbavoor police station alone were infected. The station doesn’t have sufficient officers. The same fear that gripped all of us in the first half of 2021 is back again. Since almost all the accused persons are now infected with the virus, we are facing difficulty in taking them into custody. We are even forced to reduce the number of enforcement activities due to the rising number of cases, “said a police officer.

“Only in rare cases officers are infected by their family members. But in most of the cases, they were tested positive while they were attending festivals, celebrations, protests, and other duties. Police officers are literally becoming carriers of viruses. If the public acts in an irresponsible manner, a majority of the people would be infected soon, and that would invite a major disaster, “ the officer said.

Meanwhile, Ernakulam DCP (Law and Order) V U Kuriakose said steps have been taken to manage the crisis situation. “It is true that the number of police officers infected with the virus are rising on a daily basis. We have already isolated the police officers who were infected. To contain the spread, we have already strengthened the drive to ensure proper quarantine of infected people. We will also provide awareness classes to the public to rein in the spread of the virus,” said Kuriakose.

The department has also taken steps to provide booster vaccines for all police officers. “Some police officers have already taken the booster vaccine. The rest of them will take the vaccine soon. If the number of cases goes beyond our control, we will be forced to set up a dedicated CFLTC for police officers. The use of masks and gloves has been made mandatory. Instruction has been given to wear PPE kits during the time of inquest recordings,” said K Karthick, Ernakulam Rural SP.

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