Amid reports of policemen getting infected with the novel coronavirus, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked the States and the Union Territories to prepare a second line of defence to sustain the control strategy.
In a note to all Chief Secretaries and Director-Generals of Police, the MHA said police forces need to prepare an effective second line of defence to make up for the personnel rendered ineffective by infection.
While a majority of policemen are deployed for COVID-19-related work and other policing duties, the Head of Police Forces (HoPFs) may consider the option of ‘work from home’ for personnel not deployed on front-line duties wherever it is feasible, the communication said.
Home Guards, Civil Defence personnel, NCC cadets, Scouts & Guides and Student Police Cadets could be utilised in areas where there were no imminent law and order problem, the MHA said. “They can especially be of help in maintaining order at the relief centres and in facilitating the maintenance of supply chain and coordinating other essential services.”
The MHA said that while performing COVID-19-related duties, police/security personnel should help the public and deal with them with empathy and compassion, especially the weaker sections. They should monitor religious and social congregations during festivals to ensure physical distancing. The police should also be watchful of migrant labourers and slum areas to contain any unexpected and undesirable mass movement.
The Centre’s instructions come after States reported infection among police and security personnel deployed as frontline workers to implement the lockdown orders and the guidelines to check the spread of the virus.
In Tamil Nadu, the DGP had recently issued instructions that at least 25% of the 1.25 lakh police force could stay at home so as to keep a healthy reserve to meet any exigency. “It is imperative to make police personnel aware of the precautions to be taken while performing their assigned tasks in order to ensure that the strategy adopted for containing COVID-19 spread remains sustainable. Police authorities may take necessary precautions to sanitise the physical environment at the place of duty of police... A lot of awareness has been generated of the infection through various campaigns by the Government,” it said.
The MHA said Police Control Rooms might be expanded, resourced and designed to incorporate special cells to handle all issues arising out of the pandemic. The staff manning the cells should be trained in elementary modules of the epidemic and appropriate responses to handle issues and scenarios they are likely to face. Such cells should be equipped with men and material, including drones that may be used for reconnaissance.