DCP Merin Joseph’s night travel in civil dress; Real face of Kozhikode revealed
Kozhikode: A late night ‘journey’ along the creepy, narrow city roads by the police to find out how safe is Kozhikode for women during late hours, has revealed its real face. Deputy Commissioner of Police Merin Joseph and civil police officers V. K. Soumya and M. Sabitha were part of the team that took up the mission. The women officers were in civil dress.
Civil police officers Soumya and Sabitha set out for the patrol on Monday at 9.40 pm near Kandamkulam Jubilee Hall in Kozhikode. Though it was not so late at night, people had already started to give that ‘weird look’ at them.
There were people watching them from vehicles parked on the roadside. By 11.45 pm, DCP Merin Joseph joined them at Kozhikode beach. DCP dared to walk around the beach, but nobody seemed to recognize her.
However, there were quite a number of eve teasers near the KSRTC stand. Gangs of youngsters found approaching the woman officer in civil dress, with vulgar comments. Mofussil bus stand was also found unsafe for women in the late hours, as the vulgar comments followed the lady officer and a number of bike riders invited her with them. They followed her in bike when she walked towards Baby Memorial Hospital.
One of the positive experience during the mission was the care and security offered by male police officers on night patrol. Since the women officers were in civil dress, even the male officers could not recognize them.
When DCP was walking along Gandhi road, the police patroller asked politely if she needed help. Later, DCP said that their attitude towards a woman alone at night in the city was quite positive. Compared to the previous investigation, the experience during this patrol was less horrific. The number of eve teasers seemed to have been under control due to the frequent night patrol by the police.
Photos – Sajan V Nambiar
