Horror of Covid-19 norm violators stuffed in police truck

 

Cramming offenders of Covid-19 rules in a police truck just to issue each of them a summons at the police station makes a mockery of health safeguards.

While we cannot deny that such detentions are in public interest, the way it is being done is insensitive and counter-productive to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

An incident last Saturday in Bangsar has fuelled anxiety over the questionable ways police and  the Immigration Department have been arresting movement control order offenders and illegals respectively since the outbreak of Covid-19.

A group of friends, held for not practising social distancing at a bar, has claimed they were forcibly thrust into a police truck with 30 people.

They alleged police brushed off their concerns that the overcrowded truck made physical distancing impossible.

The approach by law enforcement toward detention is contrary to international guidance that stresses on physical distancing, defined as allowing two metres of separation at all times among detainees and officers.

While the pandemic has created enormous challenges for law enforcement officers, their lack of understanding of health protocols is worrying.

Due to the nature of the virus and how it spreads, physical distancing creates a unique scenario for the authorities during apprehension, transportation and detention.

Being in a packed truck can be traumatic as person-to-person spread occurs mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, like how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread.

These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

An option would be to release violators on a summons at the place of the offence instead of taking them into custody.

If that is time consuming and demands more manpower, the offenders could be asked to present themselves at the police station or risk a warrant of arrest.

Herding a big number of suspects into the police station also threatens the safety of the staff on duty and negates efforts to prevent the spread of the virus to frontliner territory.

The coronavirus situation is so serious that the health ministry has even discouraged physical contact like the fist-bump, a popular gesture of greeting these days when meeting someone.

So, you can imagine the anguish of the friends at the bar, one of whom related their concerns and harrowing experience in an open letter to the authorities.

They were among 68 people, aged between 18 and 50, who were caught in the raid past 11pm.

The writer said: “When my friend asked why she should get into the truck, one of the police officers responded “Sana tak social distance, kenapa nak social distance now” (You weren’t social distancing earlier, why do it now?).

“When we asked how all of us would fit into the truck, a policeman replied, “diam dan naik lorry” (Shut up and get into the truck).

“Is this the standard behaviour of a policeman?”

“The bar was overcrowded when they raided it but does that explain the need to cramp 30 people who do not know each other into a lorry in close proximity.

“And why wasn’t social distancing practised at the station? Why the double standards?”

The writer also questioned why it took five hours for documentation and to issue the compound of RM1,000 each at the Brickfields police headquarters.

He also alleged police asked him to delete his video of the condition in the truck or risk further action.

Brickfields police chief Assistant Commissioner Zairulnizam Mohd Zainuddin said he will respond to the allegations after an investigation. - FMT 

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.