So how complex is the picture — and how big is the question? Are Kerala Police officers simply failing in courtesy, or are they buckling under the crushing weight of stress?
Published Sep 16, 2025 | 6:00 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 16, 2025 | 6:00 PM
Kerala Police.
Synopsis: Despite a high court order asking police officers to treat every citizen with dignity, ordinary people continue to face foul language and rough treatment as if it were part of the police uniform. There are arguments that high levels of operational and organisational stress lead to this behaviour. However, as the court made it clear, no amount of workload can justify stripping citizens of their constitutional respect.
When the Kerala High Court declared last year that every citizen is a sovereign and police officers are duty-bound to treat them with dignity, it sounded like a turning point in reining in abusive policing. However, on the streets, the old habits persist.
From streets to police stations, ordinary people continue to face foul language and rough treatment as if it were part of the police uniform.
Stress and pressure may be the standard defence, but as the court made clear, no amount of workload can justify stripping citizens of their constitutional respect.
So how complex is the picture — and how big is the question? Are Kerala Police officers simply failing in courtesy, or are they buckling under the crushing weight of stress?
Policing in Kerala is exacting a heavy toll on its officers, with multiple studies pointing to high levels of operational and organisational stress, poor work-life balance, and lifestyle-related health concerns.
From disrupted family lives to sleep disorders, the findings underline the urgent need for systemic reforms and targeted health interventions for those in uniform. A study published in BMC Psychology surveyed 253 police officers across 14 randomly selected police stations in Thiruvananthapuram.
It revealed that 75.5 percent experienced high operational stress and 65.6 percent reported high organisational stress. Key stressors included shift work, lack of time with family and friends, unhealthy diets during duty hours, the persistent feeling of being “always on the job,” difficulty maintaining physical fitness, and negative public feedback.
Age was a significant factor, with older officers reporting higher stress. Over-time demands and long working hours emerged as prominent contributors to burnout, affecting work-life balance.
Another study, published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine, assessed the Work Ability Index (WAI) of 124 police officers in Kollam between August 2018 and July 2019. Officers identified strenuous working conditions, role ambiguity, overload, unprofitability, and low status as major stressors.
Those with lower levels of physical activity were more vulnerable to both operational and organisational stress. Alcohol and tobacco use, along with conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, were strongly associated with higher stress levels. The study recommended targeted intervention programmes, including stress-management training, flexible work arrangements, and mental health support.
Meanwhile, a study in BMC Public Health highlighted the impact of occupational stress on sleep quality among police personnel. It found a high prevalence of sleep disorders closely linked with job-related stress, physical inactivity, and unhealthy habits such as alcohol and tobacco use.
Researchers warned that poor sleep and high stress form a vicious cycle, ultimately compromising the well-being and performance of officers.
Taken together, the studies present a stark picture: Kerala’s police officers are grappling with chronic stress, inadequate rest, and health risks stemming from their demanding profession. Experts suggest urgent structural changes and health-focused interventions to safeguard the mental and physical well-being of the force.
An excerpt of the circular issued in 2019.
It is no secret that Kerala Police personnel often misbehave with citizens, and the department itself has acknowledged this.
In 2019, the Police Headquarters issued a detailed directive urging counselling, stress management, and proper conduct.
It acknowledged frequent instances of officers using abusive language, behaving rudely, and drawing adverse media attention.
The circular suggested measures ranging from posting well-mannered officials in public-facing duties to creating district-level counselling centres, weekly yoga and meditation sessions, buddy systems, mentoring, and annual health check-ups.
It also called for officers’ fitness — both physical and mental — to be rewarded and encouraged. Yet, on the ground, very little has changed.
A Kerala Police Association member conceded that despite several such circulars, the implementation remains weak. Mental health continues to be a hushed subject within the force, as officers fear it would dent discipline or morale.
“Sometimes the stressors might be your colleagues or even senior officers. If one complains, witch-hunting is likely. Then you are left with only two options — resign or resort to suicide,” admitted one officer.
Personal issues like divorce, financial burden, or a loved one’s terminal illness further aggravate the strain. The reality is that while mental health has gained visibility in public discourse, for Kerala Police personnel, the stigma around speaking out persists.
Police officers themselves point out that unless systemic support mechanisms are genuinely activated beyond circulars, the cycle of stress, misconduct, and silence is bound to continue.
Earlier, in a special issue of The Indian Police Journal, in 2019, former Kerala DGP R Sreelekha underscored that policing, unlike most other professions, is inherently stressful — not just because of the constant exposure to violence, traumatic incidents, and personal risk, but also due to the unrelenting judicial, media, political, and public scrutiny that shadows every action of the force.
She noted that while Kerala has introduced several initiatives to address occupational stress among police personnel, the outcomes remain only partially effective, with much more ground to cover.
Beyond the operational pressures, officers are compelled to constantly regulate their emotions, displaying stoicism even when provoked by hostile or inflammatory individuals. The need to suppress natural emotional responses, day after day, she pointed out, extracts a heavy psychological toll.
This relentless emotional repression, combined with the demanding nature of their work, makes policing one of the most mentally exhausting professions.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also handles the Home portfolio, has acknowledged that changing lifestyles and modern-day challenges have deeply affected the police force.
With digital-era crimes on the rise, police officers are carrying greater social responsibility, but this comes at the cost of mounting stress, health issues, and even suicides.
The chief minister, while answering a question on suicides among police personnel at the Assembly in January, noted that hectic schedules, lack of open communication, family and financial struggles and workplace pressures have all contributed to mental health challenges within the force.
Recognising this reality, the government has rolled out a series of initiatives to address stress and prevent suicides among police personnel.
Some initiatives that he highlighted were,
The chief minister emphasised that these measures are not just about easing workload but about safeguarding the lives, morale, and dignity of the force that shoulders the responsibility of keeping society safe.
While police stress and mental health concerns are often cited as reasons for misconduct, the Kerala High Court made it clear that such arguments cannot be used as a shield.
In a 2024 case involving the Alathur Sub-Inspector (SI), who allegedly abused a lawyer at the station, the then-Director General of Police (DGP) Shaik Darvesh Saheb had remarked that stress or provocation could sometimes trigger deviant behaviour among officers.
However, Justice Devan Ramachandran dismissed this reasoning, observing that everyone works under stress — even daily wage workers on the street — and that does not justify abusive conduct. He underlined that citizens respect the police not out of fear, but because of their faith in the law.
It seems the Kerala Police are caught in a difficult bind — expected to embody discipline and dignity while working under relentless stress and health risks.
Although circulars, studies, and government initiatives acknowledge the problem, implementation gaps and a culture of silence hinder meaningful change. The challenge for each personnel will be to ensure that neither stress nor stigma becomes an alibi for misconduct.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
