Mysore/Mysuru: Blending Policing and compassion to achieve humane results, the Chamarajanagar District Police have launched an initiative aimed at reassuring senior citizens that the Police are not a source of fear, but dependable allies in times of need.

Implemented under the Karnataka State Police Department’s community Policing programme ‘Aasare,’ the initiative focuses on extending protection, dignity and emotional support to elderly residents, many of whom live alone without family care.

Police across the district have identified 667 senior citizens, individuals, as well as elderly couples, who lack support from children or relatives. As part of routine patrols, officers now visit these homes regularly, interact with the residents, listen to their grievances and help resolve long-pending issues.

Not isolated anymore

The initiative has brought comfort and reassurance to many elderly residents who had been living in isolation for years.

Though Chamarajanagar is known for its rich cultural traditions, the district has witnessed large-scale migration of younger generations to cities such as Mysuru, Bengaluru and neighbouring parts of Tamil Nadu in search of employment. As a result, many aged parents have been left behind to fend for themselves.

Police officials said, elderly residents living alone had increasingly become easy targets for burglars, fraudsters and land sharks.

Criminals often assumed that senior citizens, weakened by age and poor health, would be unable to resist or identify offenders.

Cases of cheating have also surfaced where fraudsters manipulated elderly persons into signing property documents, wills or pension-related papers under false pretences.

Regular visits, daily necessities

To tackle the issue, Police patrol teams have prepared detailed lists of vulnerable households and conduct regular visits as part of the ‘Aasare’ programme. Officials said that the increased Police presence has helped deter thefts and fraud.

Beyond security, officers have also been assisting senior citizens with daily necessities, including arranging gas cylinder deliveries, helping with bank work, securing ration supplies and facilitating Panchayat-related documentation.

In one notable instance under the Chamarajanagar East Police Station limits, patrol staff contributed nearly Rs. 30,000 from their own pockets to restore electricity to the house of an elderly man who had been living without power for years.

Chamarajanagar Superintendent of Police M. Muthuraju told Star of Mysore that the initiative was being implemented under the directions of the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP).

“Every day, officers monitor all 667 households and submit reports. The programme has received a positive response from the public and incidents of theft and fraud targeting senior citizens have reduced considerably,” he said.

What began as a community Policing initiative has now evolved into a support system for many elderly residents, with Police personnel increasingly seen not just as enforcers of law, but as caregivers and protectors.