Kolkata is making women’s security a priority, and a squad dedicated to the same will soon be patrolling the city streets on scooters, watching over women in places where they might need assistance.
This one-of-its-kind initiative was planned by Rajeev Kumar, the city commissioner. He met prospective candidates last week, to brainstorm for what will be Kolkata’s first all-women squad on two-wheelers.
Safety for women has been a priority for the Kolkata Police—in 2014, female officers, part of the Reinforce City Patrol fleet, were posted at strategic locations. Their objective? React quickly to street crime, and be the first point of contact for victims. Kolkata also has eight all-women police stations, one in each division under Lalbazar. They handle complaints of crimes against women.
The candidates have a great profile-most are sub-inspectors, with their own two-wheelers. They will be given new scooters for their official duty. Female officers will be picked from the current 113 sub-inspectors, 131 assistant sub-inspectors, and 444 constables. All the candidates have a proven track record of battling crime.
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This new initiative by the Kolkata cops should help, as the number of complaints against harassment remain low, despite the incidence of such events increasing. The SHE initiative will be beneficial for women who feel apprehensive approaching a police station. Safety for women should be the nation’s priority, and Kolkata is setting a great example!
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