Asish Mehta
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 23: Most officers of the Commissionerate Police are apparently reluctant to carry their firearms with them while out on duty, say sources in the police department.
Officers from the rank of sub-inspector and above are entitled to carry firearms but very few choose to carry the guns with them, it is learnt.
The reluctance to carry the firearms mainly stems from a fear of losing the weapon, or in some cases a worry on the part of the officers that they might overreact in certain conditions.
A sub-inspector, preferring anonymity, admitted to not carrying his gun with him at all times fearing “misuse”.
“We routinely visit Utkal University to ensure law and order. It is a volatile campus and we try and avoid carrying guns as there is a possibility that some rogue students might overpower us and take possession of the weapon. Such a thing will be disastrous,” the officer said.
A Quick Action Team (QAT), which is under the direct supervision of twin city police commissioner RP Sharma, and the special squad, which is under the supervision of Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi, are entrusted with tackling armed gangs in the Capital city.
A QAT official, however, made his displeasure clear at the unwillingness of police officers when it comes to carrying their weapons, stating that commoners’ lives would be at stake due to such attitude.
“The police officers here are not carrying guns with them. This is of serious concern because if any armed miscreants open fire at a busy marketplace, police officers will be able to do nothing even if they are present at the spot as they would not have their guns with them,” he said. The QAT and the special squad have nabbed several dacoits and arms dealers operating in the city in the last couple of months.
A QAT official said it was imperative for police officers to carry their guns as it would not be possible for the Quick Action Team to reach the spot of an ongoing crime in time.
Commissioner Sharma said it was recommended to police officers to always carry their firearms. “They might not be carrying it wherever they go but they carry when they go on raids. We’ve recommended them to carry their firearms always with them,” Sharma asserted.
