Cops unable to deal with pressure

KOCHI: The suicide by Kadavanthra ASI P M Thomas on Wednesday has put the spotlight back on the fact that policemen in the state are unable to deal with the pressure at work as well in their personal lives. Last year, as many as 17 police officers committed suicide owing to various reasons. This, despite DGP Loknath Behera, in a September 25 circular, directing the district police chiefs to put in place a mentor system at all police stations. 

Behera’s circular had said if SHOs felt a member of their staff required professional counselling, the latter should be referred to the appropriate service provider.  “The DGP had directed the unit heads or SHOs to prepare a list of police personnel with behavioural problems and provide them with the right assistance. However, this is yet to be done, as is evident by Thomas’ death,” said a police officer. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) data said 31 policemen committed suicide in Kerala between 2012 and 2014. However, the state was way behind Tamil Nadu in which 116 policemen committed suicide in the two-year period. In Karnataka, 39 cops took their own lives in the period, said the data.  Figures pertaining to the number of Kerala police personnel who committed suicide in 2015 and 2016 are not readily available. The suicide figures of 2017 have shaken the brass sufficiently to consider corrective measures on a war-footing.