Police grew stronger during Covid: Anjani
The idea is to deal with crisis management, says top cop
Covid-19 has in some ways turned policing upside down. The most visible government apparatus for more than a year now, the police has evolved into something much more than an agency that chases criminals and maintains law and order.
Fifteen months ago, when Covid-19 made its presence felt in Telangana the first time, not many were prepared, including the government, to deal with the disease that has come to become a scrouge that has besieged the society.
Thrown into the battle as one of the frontline troops as the state grappled with containing an unseen enemy, the police force, over this period, has emerged as a much stronger force, particularly in terms of serving people.
Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar has seen much happen in these past 15 months as he led the force from the front.
In an interview, Anjani Kumar said while their training prepared them to face anything, the battle against the Coronavirus, has been something else, something that was not part of their training, and their strategies evolved and changed to match the reality on the ground.
The Covid-19 crisis, has been as much a period of self-discovery for the police, as it has been for the general public who suddenly realised, that not all police officials and staff, were aloof to their concerns and were only interested in catching criminals.
SINCE THE nature and character of the virus is such that it is contagious, physically meeting officials has come down, video and teleconferences have taken over and even paperwork has reduced.
WITH COVID, it has been a 15-month battle. We have lost 51 personnel from the department and thousands of them have fought the battle with the virus.
ONE OF the plus points of Covid crisis is that it has given a good opportunity for the police to show its humane side of true policing.
Excerpts:
Did you, during your training as a young IPS officer, ever imagine that you would be spearheading any battle with a virus?
The nature of police training at the NPA or any pioneer training institute in the world, trains us to prepare and plan for contingencies. They could be of any kind, natural calamity or a man-made tragedy, our impulse and our focus is always on safety. The mindset of a senior police official is such that we are prepared to fight unforeseen circumstances. Even though we were not prepared for this, the core is to deal with crisis management. This applies to everyone in the force, from the commissioner to a constable.
How is policing different now compared to the prepandemic days?
There are various aspects to this. Policing consists of many issues and factors. Depending on the time and situation, certain things get prioritised and presently, the focus has changed to health and one’s wellbeing. Since the nature and character of the virus is such that it is contagious, physically meeting officials has come down, video and teleconferences have taken over and even paperwork has reduced. Our goal since 2018 was to become digital as we were heading towards paperless policing. In some ways, the pandemic has pushed us towards this goal.
What are the challenges you are facing during the Covid second wave compared to the first?
Any crisis leaves an impact. But with Covid, it has been a 15-month battle. This is where the fatigue syndrome comes in as one cannot be fully alert throughout the journey. We have lost 51 personnel from the department and thousands of them have fought the battle with the virus. Every one in police firmly braves up to overcome any crisis that crops up.
This is the era of social media. Are you under increasing pressure from what people have to say on social media, including those pointing out mistakes? How has social media changed policing?
I would gladly say that social media is a great source of strength for all of us. Our access to community and vice versa has increased many folds. When I post a one-minute video on Twitter, it reaches about 25k people within a few hours.
The communication is seamless. The tone and the tenor, the letter and the spirit can be rightly conveyed to the community. Similarly, the feeling of the community reaches us directly in the shortest span of time on social media, helping us to serve them better.
Have the acceptance levels of police been less or more among people?
One of the plus points of Covid crisis is that it has given a good opportunity for the police to show its humane side of true policing. I can proudly say that each officer from Hyderabad city police has found a place in the hearts of the community.
How do you keep yourself safe being at the frontline day after day? Also, there is the pressure of keeping your families safe. How are you managing this?
It is a very challenging situation. Right from day one, there was no doubt that we all are exposed to the Coronavirus threat. So apart from taking the best personal precaution, we have to trust and believe in God to keep us safe from the pandemic.