Penalise violators, but be polite, DGP tells cops

Penalise violators, but be polite, DGP tells cops

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:10.05.2021

With the state entering complete two-week lockdown from Monday, director general of police J K Tripathy has asked police personnel not to harass people while enforcing restrictions but to penalise them politely.

In a circular issued about enforcing lockdown rules, the DGP instructed police to not seize vehicles of violators but to take a photograph of their vehicle and penalize them. In unavoidable situations, even if the vehicle is seized, it should be released within a couple of hours, the circular said.

“Do not harass people. While enforcing restrictions, do not get into arguments or take the law into your own hands,” Tripathy said in the circular. He appealed to the law enforcers to show concern for roadside vendors and request that they close the business after permitted hours (12 noon).

He urged that public address systems be put to use to make announcements in crowded market areas rather than the personnel mingling with the crowd themselves. He added that police should ensure they follow all safety protocol strictly. “Deploy drones to monitor the crowding, and do not resort to lathicharge to disperse crowds.”

“You must ensure that vehicles carrying essentials such as oxygen cylinders and pharmaceutical items from other districts and within the cities do not face any difficulty,” Tripathy insisted. He advised that arrests be avoided unless in important cases, to not allow the general public inside police stations and to receive petitions outside the stations. He also asked not to deploy policewomen and policemen above the age of 50 years for lockdown enforcement.