Limited patrolling, poor SOS response: City policing takes a hit as all-women cop units wilt
Limited patrolling and poor response to SoS calls becoming a major menace as the share of women in Delhi Police remains abysmally low, finds new audit.
After the horrific gang rape and murder of a paramedic in December 2016, five all-women police units were set up in New Delhi district as a pilot to curb rising cases of sexual assault.
Today, they are ineffective in handling and responding to SOS calls, an audit by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) has found.
"These units have not demonstrated that they are essential to enhancing the safety of the city or to the safety of women in particular," the international non-profit has said, also highlighting issues such as limited patrolling and incomplete case detailing.
The audit flags the issues of only 50 per cent duty hours, inexperienced staff and a mismatch in public feedback and the police's action-taken reports. It also underscores that male supervisors do not have much confidence in female cops. These units are primarily police control room (PCR) vans -each comprising three women personnel, including a commando.
Much of the crisis stems from the fact that the share of women in the Capital's police force remains abysmally low-8 per cent, against the Centre's long-intended target of 33 per cent.
On Thursday, CHRI released its report that it has submitted to Delhi Police, suggesting there should be at least one woman in each such unit.
The five vans are stationed in prime locations - C-Hexagon around India Gate, Jesus and Mary College, Vijay Chowk, KG Marg, and Khan Market.
"These units handled less than 1 per cent calls received by all PCR vans in the same zone, did not get positive public feedback and showed few interventions," said CHRI's Devika Prasad.
The non-profit analysed the five units between September 2016 and June 2017. Since 2016, Delhi Police have added 10 more vans to the fleet.
This was necessitated as crime against women has been on the rise in Delhi.
From 706 cases of rape in 2012, the number in 2018 stood at 2,135-an increase of 202 per cent. When it comes to molestation, the number has increased from 727 in 2102 to 3,314 in 2018 - a jump of 355 per cent.
Vikash Narain Rai, former IPS officer, who also served as Director, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad, said all-women units were not a solution to the missing diversity in police force.
"We know police needs women. But that doesn't mean we will have all-women police stations or units. It has to be a mixed group where both male and female cops work together. The need is to have gender sensitisation training at the individual level instead," he said.
Grim national scene
And the crisis isn't limited to Delhi alone. CHRI has also come up with a model policy for women in police in India. It recommends that the goal must be to introduce and retain women police across all positions at par with men.
Releasing the policy here on Thursday, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant called for a significant surge in women recruitment in the police to push for police reforms. Even as crime against women sees a spurt, there are only 7.28 per cent female cops in the police force across the country, the policy draft notes.
This, despite the Union Ministry of Home Affairs advisories in 2009, 2012 and 2016 to all state governments and Union Territories to increase it to 33 per cent.
As on January 1, 2017, Telangana had just 2.47 per cent women in its police force, while UP had 3.8 per cent. It's 8.64 per cent for Delhi Police.
The model policy recognises that the maximum participation of women on equal terms with men is essential for effective and responsive policing.
The policy was drafted based on state-wise research on the status of women police, gaps in organisational policies, practices, and processes, as well as on best practices and international models.
"No matter how onerous this task is, efforts must continue to embed changes, at the institutional, cultural and in training process but especially in the hearts and minds of all ranks so they can perform without fear or favour," said CHRI's International Director Sanjoy Hazarika.
CHRI consulted senior police officers, both serving and retired, and sought written feedback with gender experts from police and civil society.
With inputs from Ajay Kumar in New Delhi
After the horrific gang rape and murder of a paramedic in December 2016, five all-women police units were set up in New Delhi district as a pilot to curb rising cases of sexual assault.
Today, they are ineffective in handling and responding to SOS calls, an audit by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) has found.
"These units have not demonstrated that they are essential to enhancing the safety of the city or to the safety of women in particular," the international non-profit has said, also highlighting issues such as limited patrolling and incomplete case detailing.
The audit flags the issues of only 50 per cent duty hours, inexperienced staff and a mismatch in public feedback and the police's action-taken reports. It also underscores that male supervisors do not have much confidence in female cops. These units are primarily police control room (PCR) vans -each comprising three women personnel, including a commando.
Much of the crisis stems from the fact that the share of women in the Capital's police force remains abysmally low-8 per cent, against the Centre's long-intended target of 33 per cent.
On Thursday, CHRI released its report that it has submitted to Delhi Police, suggesting there should be at least one woman in each such unit.
The five vans are stationed in prime locations - C-Hexagon around India Gate, Jesus and Mary College, Vijay Chowk, KG Marg, and Khan Market.
"These units handled less than 1 per cent calls received by all PCR vans in the same zone, did not get positive public feedback and showed few interventions," said CHRI's Devika Prasad.
The non-profit analysed the five units between September 2016 and June 2017. Since 2016, Delhi Police have added 10 more vans to the fleet.
This was necessitated as crime against women has been on the rise in Delhi.
From 706 cases of rape in 2012, the number in 2018 stood at 2,135-an increase of 202 per cent. When it comes to molestation, the number has increased from 727 in 2102 to 3,314 in 2018 - a jump of 355 per cent.
Vikash Narain Rai, former IPS officer, who also served as Director, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad, said all-women units were not a solution to the missing diversity in police force.
"We know police needs women. But that doesn't mean we will have all-women police stations or units. It has to be a mixed group where both male and female cops work together. The need is to have gender sensitisation training at the individual level instead," he said.
Grim national scene
And the crisis isn't limited to Delhi alone. CHRI has also come up with a model policy for women in police in India. It recommends that the goal must be to introduce and retain women police across all positions at par with men.
Releasing the policy here on Thursday, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant called for a significant surge in women recruitment in the police to push for police reforms. Even as crime against women sees a spurt, there are only 7.28 per cent female cops in the police force across the country, the policy draft notes.
This, despite the Union Ministry of Home Affairs advisories in 2009, 2012 and 2016 to all state governments and Union Territories to increase it to 33 per cent.
As on January 1, 2017, Telangana had just 2.47 per cent women in its police force, while UP had 3.8 per cent. It's 8.64 per cent for Delhi Police.
The model policy recognises that the maximum participation of women on equal terms with men is essential for effective and responsive policing.
The policy was drafted based on state-wise research on the status of women police, gaps in organisational policies, practices, and processes, as well as on best practices and international models.
"No matter how onerous this task is, efforts must continue to embed changes, at the institutional, cultural and in training process but especially in the hearts and minds of all ranks so they can perform without fear or favour," said CHRI's International Director Sanjoy Hazarika.
CHRI consulted senior police officers, both serving and retired, and sought written feedback with gender experts from police and civil society.
With inputs from Ajay Kumar in New Delhi
