Reporter's Diary: With polls over, cops await return of ‘rewarding days’

But, since it has been a month since the code of conduct kicked in, Chennai’s police have begun to think that their hard work was going unnoticed.

After taking charge about two years ago, Police Commissioner AK Viswanathan started rewarding police personnel for their swift action in nabbing criminal suspects besides their humanitarian gestures beyond the call of duty. The Commissioner used it as an opportunity to meet personnel from the lower ranks to greet and encourage them to perform better.

While hundreds among the personnel have had the opportunity to be rewarded by the Commissioner in the past, its discontinuation without any official announcement has upset many and several policemen are eagerly waiting for the restrictions to be lifted so that the practise can be resumed.

When this reporter spoke to a police constable who managed to seize a two-wheeler from thieves, he said he should be getting at least three rewards for the kind of work he had done last month. “I hope the Commissioner will revive the practice now that the elections are over,” he said.