In view of the fact that several police stations across the State are facing crunch of women sub-inspectors, the State Police has sent a proposal for recruitment of 319 women sub-inspectors to the State Government, said State Director General of Police, BS Sidhu on Monday. The policemen working in these stations face difficulties when a woman comes to register a case of violence against herself or her daughter.
In some cases, the station police officers approach the district police head, seeking woman police officer to solve such cases. Women’s representation is around eight per cent in the State’s police department. Due to shortage of women sub-inspectors, there are several police stations where women representation is zero or negligible.
With regard to complaints related to women and children, the court has recently directed police to record statement of women and children before women police officers. A police officer said that the figure is abysmally low in several police stations. For instance, Kalsi police station has only one woman constable while two women constables are there in Sahaspur. In Vikasnagar, there is one woman SI and two women constables.
There are three women constables in Ranipokhari, one SI and four constables in Raiwala, Rishikesh and Dalanwala; one SI and five constables in Cantt and Prem Nagar; two SI and four constables in Nehru Colony and one SI and six constables in Raipur. Police Headquarters report on crimes against women and children revealed that 352 cases of kidnapping, 48 cases of dowry deaths and 27 cases of chain -snatching were reported in 2014. 245 cases of sexual exploitation were reported last year against 205 in 2013. 303 cases of burglary were reported in 2014 while the figure was 263 in 2013, it is learnt.
Critics opined that there has been an increase in the number of crime cases, including kidnapping, rape, burglary, cyber and other kind of thefts in the State. The figure is alarming, as compared to that of last year. However, deployment of women cops in various police stations is not up to the mark. Things are almost the same in police stations located in the mountainous parts, as the number is far from reassuring.
Discrepancy between the platitudes and facts become clear when the State Government’s vow to reserve 30 per cent posts in the Government jobs, including police, for women is juxtaposed with the presence of just eight per cent women in the police department.
According to them, State police department has again sent proposal for the recruitment of women in police department to ensure that women’s representation rises. Earlier too, police had sent several proposals about the same. However, things are hanging fire with the State Government dragging its feet.