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October 14, 2004
A day in the life of a policewoman
The working conditions of policewomen are bad. Erum Haque writes about the life of a police officer
In the midst of the bustling metropolis is an area with narrow lanes where its inhabitants share a mutual bond of concern for each other. In humble quarters in the heart of the locale resides Shakila Akhtar, a policewoman, whose day begins at the crack of dawn and ends late in the night.
Being associated with the profession for the past ten years, Shakila entered this perilous career soon after her marriage when most women think about sitting back at home and raising a family. It was a decision taken out of necessity. This seemed the only solution during that time, and though her family members were against her decision, she finally succeeded in getting their acquiescence. Hence began a journey into a realm that is known for its notoriety and which also cost her the valuable time that she should have spent with her family. It also cost her peace of mind.
It is fortunately one of those days when Shakila has had a peaceful five-hour sleep. “A good night’s sleep becomes a dream when one joins the force,” she says.
“We remain on duty 24 hours a day and if an emergency occurs in the middle of the night we are supposed to report in an instant. This becomes highly difficult when a person has to commute on her own, as there is no pick and drop facility for policewomen.”
Shakila belongs to the middle strata of society. In the absence of proper conveyance she has to ask her brother or husband to drop her off and this creates ripples in her marital life. “My family members are very co-operative and that’s how I have survived till today. Though some tensions are created as everybody has their own engagements and nobody likes to wake up late at night for such a task, they do it as they care for me.”
It is an open secret that police mobiles are used for the personal tasks of the brass hats in the department but they are not available in the late hours for the policewomen. This is due to the mismanagement and lack of proper planning and organization on the part of the department.
As an investigation in-charge at the main women police station, Shakila’s day starts at five in the morning. A time when her children are asleep and so are the other family members. At seven she is expected at the court for remand. There had been a zina case a day before. Policewomen mostly handle cases involving adultery that come under the jurisdiction of the Hudood Ordinance. Shakila had to be present in the court along with the accused.
“Court proceedings unnecessarily take very long,” she said. “Our whole day is wasted like this. A little more organization and things could be improved a lot.” After the lengthy procedure, as it was an adultery case, she finally heads for the station at five in the evening, after which she has to complete the file. “There is a lot of paperwork involved in every case,” she revealed. “The bulk of responsibility rests on our shoulders because the education of an ordinary policewoman is not much. The hiring criterion requires them to be either a matriculate or an intermediate.
Education, Shakila emphasizes, is very necessary in the department. Those at the constable level do not know how to speak with respect let alone prepare a report and share the workload. The completion of a file further consumes five to six hours and it is at 10, at night, that Shakila finally goes back home. “I don’t know what the night further holds for me. If there would be any new case I will be called,” she says.
It is a hard day’s work without any leisurely activities to freshen the mind. “I am on edge all day long and all this for a meagre amount of cash that is certainly not enough to run a family.” The only last option to make both ends meet is to resort to bribery. The police department is corrupt to the core because of the faulty organization and salary structure.
“Don’t you think a person who jeopardizes his life and can die in the line of duty deserves a reasonable amount of cash as incentive?” She asks. “What if I lose my life? There is a misconception that women only accompany men during raids. They are women constables. The ones in my position actually conduct raids risking their lives. What would happen if I die? Who will take care of my children?”
Shakila is now trying to move to the Highway Police Department. “Life is much easier there,” she confides. “They observe timings and pay more. I can give more time to my children and perhaps try to make up to my dear ones.”
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