CHENNAI: Over the last 40 days, policemen across the country saw their job profiles changing a wee bit. With people staying at home due to the lockdown and crime rates plummeting, they indulged actively in containment activities. Some of them even came up with creative measures to educate the public — corona masks, songs, and public appeals. 

Now that the lockdown has almost ended, they are faced with a double whammy. They have to prevent crimes while keeping a safe distance from the criminals. With the global economy witnessing a slump, experts feel crime rates could increase in the short-term, putting more pressure on the men and women in khaki. It’s not just fresh cases, as many pending cases also have to be attended to.

“Even during the lockdown, we have received complaints of missing persons and domestic violence,” says an inspector in the North Zone. “We are making sure all policemen wear masks and gloves.” A senior officer says all petitions filed by people during the lockdown were collected and prioritised. “They are being attended to, on the basis of priority.

All the stations will continue the practice of using sanitiser and other protocols,” added the officer. “People, on the other hand have stopped coming in groups to file complaints.” A constable attached with an all-women police station says they have been refraining people from coming in groups. “We make sure all people wear masks while coming to the stations, and use the hand sanitiser kept outside,” the constable added.