Karnataka police to get new whistle guards, matte-finish buttons

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Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar paying tribute to police personnel who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty on Police Commemoration Day at the Central Police Headquarters, in Bengaluru.

Police personnel in Karnataka will get new whistle guards and matte-finish uniform buttons to replace the existing metal accessories, following an announcement by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar at the Police Martyrs’ Day programme.

The proposed changes are aimed at improving the comfort and health of police personnel, particularly lower-rank staff who wear uniforms for long hours while on duty.

The metal whistle chains and buttons currently used on police uniforms are prone to rusting due to changing weather conditions. The rust can leave stubborn stains on uniforms, damage the fabric and potentially cause skin-related problems among personnel.

The Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority has repeatedly written to the Home Department and the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP), urging the authorities to replace the existing metal accessories with more practical alternatives.

The authority’s member, Mohan Kumar Danappa, pointed out that several States, including Sikkim, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Keralam, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir, have already introduced whistle guards and matte-finish buttons for police personnel.

While some States have opted for khaki-coloured whistle guards, others use blue ones. The accessories proposed in Karnataka are expected to match the navy-blue peak caps recently introduced for lower-rank police personnel, or be in a colour approved by the department.

The introduction of navy-blue peak caps replaced the older British-era headgear worn by lower-rank personnel. The earlier caps were reportedly uncomfortable, particularly during summer, and could cause discomfort during prolonged duty hours.

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