Prototype of the dress
Moving away from its decades-old white-and-blue aesthetic, the force is rolling out a shade of orange across its staggering 20,000-strong non-cop crowd-management ranks for this year’s pujas. Apart from the police and security guards sourced from private agencies, this army of volunteers, mostly boys aged not more than 20, fan out across the streets to ensure effective crowd management during the festive days. The bright orange apparel ensures that citizens, lost children, and motorists can spot support personnel instantly from a distance,” claimed a senior cop.
Kolkata: The foot soldiers of Kolkata Police are poised for an unmistakable visual transformation this Durga Puja . The choice of palette goes beyond mere aesthetics, claim senior officers — it is a calculated operational strategy. “During the week-long festivities, arterial roads transform into human oceans that make quick identification of police and volunteers a challenge.
“Their job will be to manage the crowd of revellers, provide water and rush help in the event of a medical emergency and prevent eve-teasing and other untoward incidents,” said an officer.