Bengaluru Police ropes in transgenders to curb crime

In a view to sensitise society towards the transgender community and vice versa, the Bengaluru Police has in a novel way roped in transgenders to reduce criminal activities in the city.  This unique initiative is the brainchild of Rohini Katoch Sepat, Deputy Commissioner of Police South East Division and he hopes to empower them in a way to bring them to mainstream.

This first ever community policing initiative got a good response and many transgenders have come forward to be part of this unique initiative to fight stigma and discrimination.“The whole intention is to rope in the marginalised community, and in a way empower them to be part of the mainstream. It is also an attempt to sensitise the society of their rights. We want them to be as informers at the crime scenes and certainly it is a way forward in identifying their rights.”

The community policing project with the help of transgenders is a major initiative taken up by the Bengaluru police.  The transgender community is facing stigma and discrimination and this initiative is a way forward in protecting their rights. The Bengaluru Police is taking the help of an NGO “Payana” in identifying the community to join this initiative.

According to DCP Rohini, this project was to sensitise the community as well as society in protecting their rights. She said, “there were complaints against them (transgenders) by public about harassing the public in traffic signals. This is not right. We want to bring them to mainstream and utilise them for community policing.”

The ever growing IT city Bengaluru is facing many problems with increasing crime rate. This initiative by the police not only helps reduce crime rate but also might protect the rights of transgender community in fighting stigma and discrimination.  This would also help bridge the gap between society and the community.Ashraya, a community based organisation of the transgenders based in Mysuru welcomed such a move and wants this process to be extended to other cities.