Synopsis
The Delhi Police has launched 'Shishtachar' anti-eve teasing squads to patrol public spaces, focusing on women's safety. Trained personnel will enforce laws against harassment, ensuring sensitivity and support for victims.Key Takeaways
- Formation of 'Shishtachar' squads for women's safety.
- Focus on law enforcement, not cultural morality.
- Real-time response to harassment incidents.
- Daily patrols in identified hotspots.
- Collaboration with public transport for reporting incidents.
New Delhi, March 17 (NationPress) The Delhi Police has introduced the 'Shishtachar' anti-eve teasing squads, which will soon patrol public areas throughout the national capital to improve women's safety.
These squads are directed to concentrate on enforcing the law, rather than imposing personal or cultural morals on individuals. This initiative aims to reduce crimes against women, including eve-teasing, molestation, and various forms of harassment.
As per an order signed by Commissioner of Police Sanjay Arora on March 8, the squads will comprise trained personnel whose roles will include preventing, deterring, and addressing such offenses in real-time.
Each district will have at least two anti-eve teasing squads, supervised by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) from the district's Crime Against Women Cell.
Each squad will consist of an inspector, a sub-inspector, and four female and five male officers from the ranks of Assistant Sub-Inspector, Head Constable, and Constable. Moreover, personnel from the special staff or the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) will lend technical support.
The primary objective of these squads will be to target areas identified as "hotspots" for crimes against women. The District Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) will compile a list of such locations, ensuring that squads conduct daily patrols at least at two vulnerable points.
The squads will adopt a comprehensive approach involving prevention, intervention, and victim assistance.
Operating in plainclothes, officers will carry out surprise checks in public transportation and collaborate with Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) drivers, conductors, and passengers to encourage reporting of harassment incidents. The guidelines also highlight the necessity of ensuring that victims are not subjected to undue public scrutiny or embarrassment.
District DCPs have been instructed to ensure squad members operate with sensitivity, empathy, and self-motivation while managing cases.
This new initiative by Delhi Police aims to foster a safer environment for women in the capital while reaffirming its dedication to proactive law enforcement and crime prevention.
The BJP, in its manifesto for the Delhi Assembly Elections 2025, had pledged the deployment of "Anti-Romeo Squads" in all public spaces along with a comprehensive network of CCTV cameras to enhance security.
This initiative follows a similar model initiated by the Uttar Pradesh Police in 2017 through its "Anti-Romeo" drive, which sought to address harassment against women.
