Geetanjali Gayatri
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 26
Empowering women
- Besides registration and investigation of cases, these police stations will also assume a larger role of empowering women
- The Women Rapid Action Force available in Panchkula, Hisar, Karnal and Gurgaon districts will be stationedat these police stations
- Protection Officers of the Women and Child Department, 1091 women’s helpline and the women PCRs will also be housed there
Crime stats
- 5,739 cases of crime against women were registered in the state till July this year; the number for the corresponding period last year was 5,433
- 604 case of rape have been reported in 2015, against 653 reported last year
- 1,131 molestation cases against last year’s figure of 946 show deterioration on that front
- 1,187 cases of kidnapping against last year’s 1,092are also a cause for concern
In a state where women and issues
relating to them are put on the back burner more often than not and much of the
crime against them goes unreported, Haryana is all set to take a unique
initiative of rolling out 21 all-women police stations—for the women and by
them too.
To be launched as a “Rakhi gift” on
August 28 the state over, the Police Department wants these to go beyond the
narrow definition of police stations merely confined to registration and
investigation of cases and assume the larger role of empowering women.
Explaining the concept, Haryana
Director General of Police Yash Pal Singal says, “In all cases of crime against
women, the victims are generally more comfortable talking about it to women. By
opening these, we are providing victims an option of reporting the matter to an
all-women police station, if they so desire. For us, it will build up expertise
and specialisation of our teams in handling such crimes.” In all, 5,739 cases
of crime against women were registered in Haryana till July this year. Though
the number is marginally lower than the figure of 5,433 cases registered in the
corresponding period last year and cases of rape have fallen from 653 to 604 in
2015, molestation is on the rise with cases seeing a jump from 946 to
1,131 in the current year. Cases of kidnapping have gone up from 1,092 to 1,187
this year.
With a
women police at all 21 district headquarters in the state, the authorities
maintain it will hasten the investigation since the personnel will be dealing
with only such cases. These will be headed by DSPs and ASPs. While the Women
Rapid Action Force available in Panchkula, Hisar, Karnal and Gurgaon districts will
be stationed at these police stations, Protection Officers of the Women and
Child Department, 1091 women’s helpline and the women PCRs will also be housed
in these police stations, which will undertake community outreach programmes as
well. These police stations will also run “mediation centres” to resolve issues
by associating renowned women of the respective districts.
