Police will step up enforcement of Covid norms by taking people into confidence and continue to spread awareness on the safety protocol, Vineet Goyal, the new commissioner of Kolkata police, said on Friday.
But despite such efforts, if people still refuse to wear masks, police will take action, he said.
Goyal, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus, took over as the 44th commissioner of Kolkata police from Soumen Mitra on Friday.
“Police will continue to spread awareness among people about Covid norms. Masks will be distributed to those found not wearing one. We want people to enjoy but not at the cost of their personal safety and the safety of other people. But if people refuse to wear masks even after that, we will take action,” Goyal said soon after taking over as the city police chief.
“People have been very cooperative in the past and this time too we seek their cooperation in maintaining Covid norms. We will urge everyone to wear masks, use hand sanitisers and maintain social distance.”
Referring to the “very difficult times” people went through in the last two years because of Covid, he said: “There was a lull in between and there were relaxations. But the number of Covid cases has started rising again. Police can’t do it alone. We need the support of everyone.”
Cyber crime and technological advancement are some of the areas the new commissioner will focus on. “Cyber crime is the biggest challenge. Lot of people are falling prey to this crime. We will continue to give more emphasis to this new type of crime,” Goyal said.
Technology upgrade will be another focus area of Goyal, who was credited with bringing about several reforms in traffic police during his previous stint in Kolkata police. “We hope the people of this city will continue to extend their support like in the past,” Goyal said.
