In the backdrop of reports that Women Armed Special Protection Squad (WASPS) of the Punjab Police were at the receiving end of the miscreants, Punjab Police on Wednesday claimed that they were effective.
“A comprehensive review of the functioning of these scooter and motorcycle borne All-Women Mobile Police teams, which were launched in major cities and towns of the State in April 2013 has revealed that there has not been even a single reported incident of eve- teasing of WASPS anywhere in the State,” ADGP, law and Order Dinkar Gupta said in a statement.
Presently, 15 All-Women Mobile Police teams are operational in Amritsar, 20 in ludhiana, 15 in Jalandhar, 10 in Patiala, 10 in Bathinda, 3 in Sangrur, 6 in Gurdaspur, 10 in Ferozepur, 8 in Muktsar, 10 in Moga, 11 in Fazilka, 10 in Mansa, 9 in Faridkot and 10 in SAS Nagar. These teams were specifically assigned the task of instilling sense of security amongst school and college going girls by deploying such All-Women Mobile Police teams at women colleges, schools, coaching centres, co-ed colleges, girls hostels, working women hostels and busy markets.
Gupta claimed that these have proved to be highly effective in providing a safe living and working environment and preventing violence and harassment against women. He said the review has revealed that offences such as eve-teasing, molestation, stalking of women and chain snatching etc have gone down considerably over the last year-and-a-half since the All-Women Mobile Police teams became operational in the State.
“To make these All-Women Mobile Police teams more effective, it had now been decided to integrate the PCR motorcycles, and even four-wheelers (in certain cases), with All-Women Mobile Police teams, depending upon the local needs and requirements,” the ADGP said. He said it has also been decided that the SHOs would personally patrol vulnerable women educational institutions, coaching centres, girls hostels, working women hostels and busy markets/bazaars.
In addition to the above initiatives, 181 Police Helpline is also working round-the-clock to provide support and assistance to various kinds of distress calls by women. During the last 15 months, about 52 per cent of the complainants on the Helpline (40724) were women, who called to report domestic violence (7382 cases), dowry related harassment (3755 cases), obscene calls/SMS (2285 cases), rape and rape attempt (852), eve-teasing (638) and sexual harassment (265) and obscene calls/SMS and stalking.
Gupta said Commissioners of Police and SSPs have been directed to personally supervise these arrangements to instill a sense of security in school and college going girls and as well as in women and also to prevent any offensive against women.