Fear of Victimization or Feeling Secure: An Exploration of Police-Elderly Interface in Cities of Eastern India

Fear of victimization results in immobility of the vulnerable - children, women and elderly, shutting them off from the society. Free movement, independence, security and self-respect can help the vulnerable come out of the cocoon and lead an active life. At an age, when they have sacrificed their most precious days of life in building the society, the elderly suffer more from the fear of victimization than physical constraints, forcing them to days of dependency. Confinement within the four walls of domesticity acts as an impediment to expression of likes and dislikes making their lives dull and monotonous. The recent instances of rising crime against the elderly adds on to their fear and insecurity. To help them come out of this crisis, the law enforcement agencies can play a very crucial role in making their presence felt and thereby arouse a feeling of security among the elderly. In an humble effort to fill a dearth of literature on police-elderly relationship in India, the present study attempts to explore the police - elderly interface in some cities of eastern India through a small sample survey to understand the relationship that they share and whether the police has been successful in making the elderly feel unafraid. The study analyses the community policing initiatives of the police meant specifically for the elderly in cities of eastern India and the awareness of the target group in this regard. It also attempt's to unveil the comfort level of the elderly to communicate with the police and whether they suffer from any apprehension towards law enforcement agencies. It is only when the vulnerable feel assured of the rule of law can we boast of a secure and safe society.