While it may be a blessing for many of us to stay home and spend quality time with our family, it may be a curse to the police who have to do their duty every single day for the safety and well-being of their citizens.

Due to the corona pandemic, many countries are under lockdown and practicing social distancing as much as possible to flatten the curve. The government has advised all its citizens to stay home and be safe, however, the police department has been working day and night to ensure other people are safe and secure.

But the main question that arises is if they are safe or not? In a country like Nepal, where there is no proper medical equipment and facilities available, everyone is at high risk. Whenever I see interviews with the police on the news, it makes me sad to see them wearing just a simple paper mask and gloves. The police are highly prone to catch the virus if they rely on such simple paper masks and gloves, as on average one police has to go through interrogating five people in a day without knowing about their medical condition. Unfortunately, they are unable to practice social distancing due to their work itself. Moreover, when they return home after their duty, they have to be careful with their families because they are in contact with many people in a day and are unsure about their health.

Apart from these, the police are not provided with the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) due to which we are uncertain about their safety. The safety of the police depends on the government and citizens. The worst that could happen is the police getting affected by the virus. Not only one but many have to be in isolation at that time, which may affect the citizens. To avoid the worst scenarios, the government should ensure the safety of the police. 

As of now, there isn’t any need to panic as long as we follow the rules but if many cases of corona arise then it would be very difficult to deal with the situation. In such cases, we need strong police safety. The government could encourage the police by providing health insurance and even an extra salary. Also, people should respect the police as they are risking their lives just for the safety of ours.