Challenges of Police Personnel during COVID-19: An Exploratory Study in Tangail, Bangladesh

Challenges of Police Personnel during COVID-19: An Exploratory Study in Tangail, Bangladesh

Taofin Akter¹, Mahmuda Akter², Md. Masud Nabi³, Mostak Bari Fahim⁴*

¹MS Graduate, Department of Criminology and Police Science, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Tangail, Bangladesh.

²Associate Professor, Department of Criminology and Police Science, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Tangail, Bangladesh.

^3,4Postgraduate Student, Department of Criminology and Police Science, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Tangail, Bangladesh.

*Correspondent Author

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.90300278

Received: 11 March 2025; Accepted: 13 March 2025; Published: 13 April 2025

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 pandemic created social upheaval and alters norms for all the members of society. In this case, law enforcement officers have to coordinate lockdown, encourage social distancing and enforce stay-at-home mandates amid completing their regular responsibilities. As a result, they have to face a lot of challenges to protect public health as well as law enforcement matters. In this context, this study identifies the nature of workload, stress and challenges faced by police personnel during COVID-19 as well as finding some preventive measure that should be taken in to cope up with pandemic situation like Covid-19. Quantitative research method is used here. By following census sampling and structured questionnaire data were collected from 120 police personnel from Tangail and Kalihati police station in Tangail, Bangladesh. Mainly, this study found that, the police personnel had taken huge regular workloads and performed extra duties (92%) during the pandemic with inadequate health related equipment (87%). As a result, they felt mental stress (51%) and no stress management program were provided to them (48%) although they need psychological help (37%). This study suggests that if we can ensure their all the necessary things that they needed, they can give their best to maintain peaceful society. The government as well as the police department must take necessary measures and arrange more inclusive psychological and physiological stress relief sessions which helps the personnel to cope with the challenges.

Keywords: Police, Physical Stress, Psychological help, COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION

Police are the inevitable part of the society because they are dedicated to perform fast and foremost responsibility to maintain peace in the society. Although their work is highly challenging, they took the place of first responders during any disaster across the country. (Laufs and Waseem, 2020). Since December 2019- mid 2021, the coronavirus created confrontations around the world that affect police departments worldwide in a number of ways. In that period, police are the people who stayed out of their home for the most time. They have to done a lot of duties for the people to maintaining social distance. So, the protection and wellbeing needs of police personnel is a great concerning issue (Naidoo, 2022). Accordingly, the challenges of police personnel during COVID-19 need to be taken in consideration for the fact that the pandemic could come in multiple waves, hitting police services more than once (Shirzad et al., 2020). As a result, challenges which are faced by the police personnel need to be identified, updated constantly and responded to shift from the initial shock to longer-term plans (Sandrin, 2021). During crisis situation, challenges for police personnel become harder as members of the society refuse to cooperate and comply with public health regulations and sometimes attack the police officers. To cope up with lack of staff, police officers required to work longer shifts without any official leave (Edwards and Kotera, 2021). Moreover, as a first responder, they have to isolate from their families. These practical challenges attached with the fear of contracting COVID-19 are going to adversely impact the mental wellbeing of police officers. Because of this stress, most of them fall into depression, lost their personal commitment to serve the society (Jones, 2020). Besides, these depressions make disturbance into their personnel life as well. Police-community relationship is also hampered adversely during COVID-19 as police officers trying to keep people in their home and working for the maintenance of social distancing (Farmer and Copenhaver, 2021).

During the COVID -19 the police officers are facing the shortage of safety equipment. They don’t get proper rest for their extra duties, can’t sleep properly in the time of pandemic. All these obstacles result several physical and mental health problem among police personnel (Shane, 2010). In the period of COVID -19 many people can have done their work by standing in the home but police are the people who work for the people’s security and wellbeing (Roberts et al., 2021). Even during COVID-19 many officers are affected with virus. Moreover, their family members were also affected. But they can’t give proper support to their family because they have to work for the people’s safety in the community. Family life may be disrupted by shift work schedules, working holidays, and strained relationships (Koziarski, 2021).

These things brought too much mental stress among the police officers (Drew and Martin, 2020). Sources of challenges in policing are classified into two categories: those arising from job content which include work schedules, shift work, long-work hours, overtime and court work, and traumatic events and threats to physical and psychological health; and those arising from job context also called organizational stressors, which refer to characteristics of the organization and behavior of the people that produce stress. These sources of stress often come with a price (Shammi et al, 2021). Exposure to human suffering and death may also result in a negative view of life, as well as psychological effects such as depression, and suicide ideation (Maskály, et al., 2021).

Research has shown that exposure to stressful life events in the general population can change brain structure which resulting in decrease in gray matter volume in the bilateral anterior cingulate and the hippocampi (Thompson et al, 2022). That’s why for the betterment of the police personnel we all need to know about the challenges of police personnel facing during COVID-19 pandemic. In the middle of a fatal pandemic, the police have had to jump into contaminated scenes without the fear of their lives to ensure public safety (Neher, 2021). The pandemic has shed light onto the side of police we are not accustomed to see when they were making sure to meet all the basic to complicated needs of the citizens thinking little about themselves. Ignorance about these issues can’t correct our previous mistake to tackle the crisis situation and as a result, we can’t do anything for our first responders. From the view of police science, it is necessary to find out the way to create police more effective and beneficial police service in Bangladesh. By considering that, this study represents the nature of challenges faced by the police personnel during COVID-19 pandemic with a help of a close look on analyzing empirical data.

Objectives of the Study

The principal aim of this study is to identify the nature of challenges faced by police personnel during Covid-19. To fulfill this, additional objectives of this study are the followings:

1. To find out the types of obstacles faced by the police personnel during Covid- 19;
2. To explore the nature of workload and stress among police personnel during Covid-19;
3. To find out the consequences of these challenges faced by police personnel during Covid-19;
4. To explore some preventive measure that should be taken in to cope up with pandemic situation like Covid-19.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This study is descriptive in nature where quantitative research design is used about the nature of challenges faced by police personnel during Covid-19. This research was conducted in Tangail, Bangladesh which is divided into 13 police stations. Among the 13 police stations, only two were selected for two reasons: firstly, this study had financial constraints as this is an independent study with no funding; secondly, there were manpower and administrative constraints in completing the study. Depending on the research problem, triangulations of quantitative and qualitative data is used here. In so doing, a survey has been conducted with structured questionnaire (including both close-ended and open-ended questions) for collecting quantitative data. From the study area Kalihati Thana and Tangail Thana was selected by means of random lottery technique The population list suggests that there was a total of 135 police personnel (including all ranks) in the selected police stations (70 police personnel in Tangail Thana and police stations and 65 police personnel in Kalihati Thana) As the pollution size is small (below 200), it is decided to conduct a census study as it eliminates sampling error. However, 15 respondents denied to participate in the survey, the total respondents of the study remain 120 (65 respondents from Tangail Thana, and 55 from respondents Kalihati thana). The time period of data collection was from August to September, 2022. The data were processed through coding, categorization and tabulation. Then, the Statistical Program for Social Science (SPSS) is used for analyzing the survey data.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Socio-demographic Characteristics of the Respondents

Socio- demographic Characteristics of the Respondents

Table 1: Socio- demographic Characteristics of the Respondents

According to the study this table-1 represents the age of the sample limits from 21 to 60. The total number of the respondent was 120. This table shows that about 32.5% of the respondents belong in the (21-30) years age, 40% of the respondents belongs in the (31-40) years age, 22.5% of the respondents belong in the (41-50) years age and 5% of the respondents belong in the (51-60) years age.

From this study, about 87.5% of the respondents are male while 12.5% of them are female. It was because of the selected respondent who are conveniently available, and men are more responsive than women. In this study, 85% of the respondents were Muslim while only about 15% were Hindu. Besides, this study shows that 82.5% of the respondents are married and 17.5% respondents are unmarried. In this study the table shows that 70% of the respondents belong in the single family, 30% of the respondents belong in joint family.

According to this study, 35% of the respondents are living in urban area, 45% of the respondents are living in semi-urban area and 20% of the respondents are living in rural area. It has been observed that the educational status of respondents of this study is average 52.5% HSC passed followed by about 25% of the respondent educational qualification is graduation level and about 20% of the respondents are belongs to the post-graduation and only 2.5% are belongs to others degree.

In this study, maximum of the respondents (72.5%) monthly income is 21000-30000 taka, about 20% of the respondent monthly income is 31000-40000 taka, about 7.5 % of the respondent monthly income is 41000-50000 taka. Moreover, maximum respondents (72.5%) monthly expenditure remains between 20000-29000 taka, about 20% of the respondent monthly expenditure is 30000- 39000 taka, and about 7.5% of the respondent’s monthly expenditure is 40000- 50000 taka.

Types of Challenges Faced by Police Personnel during Covid-19

Working hours of the respondents

Table 2: Working hours of the respondents

In this study the table 2 shows that about 42.5% of the respondents claimed that they have to work more than 16 hours. 30% of the respondents claimed that they have to work for 13-16 hours. 20% have to work for 9-12 hours and only 7.5% of the police officer can work less than 8 hours.

Types of duties carried out by respondents

Figure 1: Types of duties carried out by respondents

In this study the figure shows that, when asked about the duties the police in question had to carry out, a variety of responses were found where a drastic majority of 32.5% chose Making sure people stay at home as a task during the pandemic. 20% police are choosing Hospital duty as another task during pandemic. The hospital being the epicenter of the COVID patients, the police hence had to work not only in an environment different than theirs but also at the very close distance of the virus itself. A significant portion of 17.5% chose regular duties thereby acknowledging that regular duties and hospital duties had to be simultaneously carried out by them. Thirdly, almost half the respondents mentioned the handling of dead bodies too. Aside from these, many were engaged in creating awareness between the multitudes and making sure they stayed home. The highly direct participation of Bangladesh police is clearly visible from the results.

Respondents’ opinion about performing extra duty beside their regular routine and about proper testing facilities and medication during covid-19

Figure 2: Respondents opinion about performing extra duty beside their regular routine during Covid-19

From this figure 2, this study shows 87% respondents said that they have to perform extra duty beside their regular work during Covid-19 and 13% of the respondents said that they did not have to perform extra duty beside their regular routine during covid-19. Sakin Tanvir (2020) in his study stated that 90% police officer have to perform extra duty beside their regular work during Covid-19. At the same time, 47.5% said yes on being supplied with proper testing facilities and medication while 35% did the opposite. The general consensus sided with yes but insufficient testing and medical aid with almost half the people agreeing to it.

Respondents’ opinion whether they had provided sufficient health safety equipment and experience of stress during this pandemic

Table 3: Respondents opinion whether they had provided sufficient health safety equipment and experience of stress during this pandemic

Table 3 from this study shows, 72.5% of the respondents asserted about the insufficiency of safety equipment. 20% said how limited the quantity was. Only 7.5% chose yes losing to the majority of the respondents, evidently making it clear that the safety of police personnel was a big question mark in the middle of a fatal virus, a definite stressor for any one at all everyone would agree. Besides, respondents were asked how much stress they experienced. Majority of the respondents (95%) said that they experienced a lot of stress while only 5% response said there was no stress at all.

Respondents’ opinion about types of Stress they are facing during pandemic and opinion about getting stress management program

Table 4: Respondents opinion about types of Stress they are facing during pandemic and opinion about getting stress management program

According to table no 4, this study represents 44.7% respondents said that they faced mental stress during pandemic. On the other hand, 36.8% respondents said that they have to face physical stress during covid-19 and 18.4% respondents said about other. Moreover, 40% respondents said that they did not get any stress management program during covid-19. On the other hand, 27.5% respondents said that they get stress management program. In this table, we also see that 15% respondents said that they get stress management program but not effective, 2.5% respondents said that stress management is not important.

 Factors responsible for increasing job stress of police during Covid-19

Figure 4: Factors responsible for increasing job stress of police during Covid-19

The figure 4 indicates, 20% respondents said that shortage of personal protection equipment is responsible for the increasing job stress of police during covid-19. 25% respondents said that extra workload is responsible for the increasing job stress of police during covid-19. Besides 17.5% respondents said that community events and negative attitude of public are responsible for the increasing job stress of police during covid-19. 2.5% of the respondents said that lack of training program, threats from unknown sources are responsible for the increasing job stress of police during covid-19.

Consequences of police workload/stress in their occupational and daily life

Relationship between police-public during Covid-19

Table 5: Relationship between police-public during Covid-19

The table shows that, 72.5% of the respondents said that they have bad relationship with the public during covid-19. On the other hand, 27.5% respondents said that they have good relationship with the public during covid-19.

Respondents’ opinion whether stress impact on their personal and professional life and health consequences faced by respondents due to stress

Figure 5: Respondents opinion whether stress impact on their personal and professional life and health consequences faced by respondents due to stress

The above data from figure 5 found that, majority (62.5%) of the respondents are agree that stress impact on their personal and professional life, 20% respondents are strongly agreeing that stress impact on their personal and professional life. 7.5 % of the respondents are strongly disagree that stress impact on their personal and professional life, 5% of the respondents said that they are strongly disagree and 5% of the respondents are neutral. Besides, a big portion (82%) of the respondents said that they have to face health consequence due to stress, 18% respondents said that they have not face health consequences due to stress.

Respondents’ opinion whether they feel depression at the time of Covid-19 than usual and whether the friends/family feel the effects of the stigma associated with their job during Covid-19 than usual

Figure 6: Respondents’ opinion whether they feel depression at the time of Covid-19 than usual and whether the friends/family feel the effects of the stigma associated with their job during Covid-19 than usual

The figure 6 shows that, 67% of the respondents while doing the duty feel depression at the time of covid-19 than usual, 33% of the respondents said that while doing the duty they do not feel depression at the time of covid-19 than usual. Here, 42.5% of the respondents agreed that their friends/family feel the effects of the stigma associated with their job during covid-19 than usual, 27.5% of the respondents are disagree about this, 12.5% respondents are strongly disagreed, 10% respondents are strongly agreeing and 7.5 respondents are neutral about their opinion.

Preventive measure that should be taken to cope up with pandemic situation like Covid-19.

Respondents’ opinion about ensuring enough health safety equipment is necessary

Figure 7: Respondents opinion whether ensuring enough health safety equipment is necessary

Figure 7 from this study represents that majority (95%) of the respondents said that ensuring of enough health safety equipment is necessary. Besides 5% of the respondents said that ensuring of enough safety equipment is not necessary.

For ensuring proper physical support type of program need to be taken

Figure 8: For ensuring proper physical support which type of program need to be taken

The figure 8 indicates that 52.5% of the respondents said that for ensuring their proper physical support the program of limited working hour need to be taken. 20% of the respondents said that proper weekend program needs to be taken for ensuring their proper physical support, 17.5% of the respondents talked about proper rest and 10% respondents talked about exercising regularly program need to be taken.

For ensuring proper mental support type of program need to be taken

Figure 9: For ensuring proper mental support which type of program need to be taken

According to this figure, 37.5% of the respondents said that for ensuring their proper mental support the program of psychological help need or be taken. 17.5 % of the respondents talked about more rest, 15% respondents talked about yoga, 10% respondents talked about recreation, 5% respondents talked about less pressure from higher ranking officers and 15% respondents talked about other program.

Respondents’ suggestion about managing police stress

Figure 10: Respondents’ suggestion about managing police stress

According to the figure no 10, similarly high percentages indicate that more rest, inclusion of more workforce, availability of psychological help, and alleviating pressure from higher authority are the best ways to manage police stress with 17.5%, 7.75%, 37.5% and 7.5% respectively. 15% see yoga as a potential technique as well while 15% suggest the creation of an unbiased work environment.

Respondents’ suggestion if in future Covid-19 pandemic comes again to manage stress which types of programs need to take

Figure 11: Respondents suggestion if in future Covid-19 pandemic comes again to manage stress which types of programs need to take

From this figure 11, this study shows, 40% of the respondents said that if in future covid-19 pandemic comes again to manage stress they need limited working hour, 17.5% respondents said about the need of proper weekend, 17.5% respondents said about proper rest. Besides 10% of the respondents talked about exercising regularly, 10% talked about inclusion of more workforce and lest 5.0% talked about less pressure from higher ranking officers.

Bivariate Analysis

Bivariate analysis means the analysis of bivariate data. It is one of the simplest forms of statistical analysis, used to find out if there is a relationship between two sets of values. This study represents three bivariate analyses to describe the relationship between two variables.

Bivariate Analysis 1

Table 5: Bivariate analysis between types of activity of working hour status and Kind of stress experienced by police personnel

The above table represents that there are 114 respondents experienced various kinds of stress. The table also indicates that the respondents who are working 8 hours experienced 2.8% anxiety for family, 6.7% anxiety for catching the virus, 7.4% mental stress, 8.3% deterioration of physical health. On the other hand, the table also indicates that the respondents who are working 9-12 hours experienced 13.9% fatigue due to anxiety for family, 40%anxiety for catching the virus, tension for coworkers 33.3%, 11.1% mental stress, 16.7% deterioration of physical health, hustle of wearing PPE, mask, gloves and other safety equipment 33.3% and respondents who are working 13-16 hours experienced 33.3% fatigue due to over working, 38.9% anxiety for family, 30% anxiety for catching the virus, 29.6% mental stress, 25% deterioration of physical health, hustle of wearing PPE, mask, gloves and other safety equipment 33.3%. Lastly, the table also indicates that the respondents who are working more than 16 hours experienced 66.7% fatigue due to over working, 44.4% anxiety for family, 23.3%anxiety for catching the virus, 66.7%, tension for coworkers, 51.9% mental stress, 50% deterioration of physical health, hustle of wearing PPE, mask, gloves and other safety equipment 33.3%.

Bivariate Analysis 2

Table 6: Bivariate analysis between types of activity of working hours and get time for proper rest

The above table represents that there are 120 respondents who get their opinion how much time they get for rest. The table also indicates that respondents who are working 8 hours 22.2% get time for rest, 66.7% don’t get proper time for rest and 11.1% used to get time for enough sleep before pandemic. On the other hand, the table also indicates that respondents who are working 9-12 hours 0% get time for rest, 100% don’t get proper time for rest and 0% used to get time for enough sleep before pandemic. And that respondents who are working 13-16 hours 5.6% get time for rest, 86.1% don’t get proper time for rest and 8.3% used to get time for enough sleep before pandemic. Lastly respondents who are working more than 16 hours 9.8% get time for rest, 80.4% don’t get proper time for rest and 9.8% used to get time for enough sleep before pandemic.

Bivariate Analysis 3

Table 7: Bivariate analysis between infected by the covid-19 and factors responsible for the increasing job stress of police urging covid-19

Above table shows that for extra workload 73.3% police personnel are infected by covid-19, for Threats from unknown sources 33.3% police personnel are infected by covid-19, for Lack of training program 100.0% police personnel are infected by covid-19, for Shortage of Personal Protection Equipment 50.0% police personnel are infected by covid-19, for operational activities 83.3% police personnel are infected by covid-19, for political pressure 66.7% police personnel are infected by covid-19, for Negative attitude of public 52.4% police personnel are infected by covid-19, for Court of public 66.7% police personnel are infected by covid-19, for Community events of public 71.4% police personnel are infected by covid-19, for others of public 100% police personnel are infected by covid-19.

Moreover the above table also shows that, for extra workload 10% police personnel are not infected by covid-19, for Threats from unknown sources 33.3% police personnel are not infected by covid-19, for Lack of training program 0% police personnel are not infected by covid-19, for Shortage of Personal Protection Equipment 20.8% police personnel are not infected by covid-19, for operational activities 16.7% police personnel are not infected by covid-19, for political pressure 0% police personnel are infected by covid-19, for Negative attitude of public 19% police personnel are not infected by covid-19, for court of public 0% police personnel are infected by covid-19, for community events of public 19% police personnel are not infected by covid-19, for others of public 0% police personnel are infected by covid-19.

CONCLUSION

Every citizen of the country wants a peaceful and happy life. For a peaceful life we need to live in a peaceful society. Police are those who work hard for maintaining the low and order of the society to make it peaceful. So, it is our duty to think about the obstacles which is challenging for the police. If we can ensure their all the necessary thing, they needed they can do their duties properly. When any disaster happened in the country, they are the people who came first of the people and we can realize their importance in the time of COVID-19. They are the superhero who works for the people without thinking their own safety. So, it is our duty to helping the police personnel in doing their work and the government as well as the authority need to think about their challenges. On the basis of the challenges, we need to take proper step to solve them. If we can ensure all the necessary things needed for them that will be better for us. By ensuring all the facilities for the police personnel we can see a peaceful society in our eyes which is our dream.

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