As Pink Booths mark one year in Ghaziabad, crimes against women see marked decline

The records indicate that crimes against women reduced by about 23.33% between September 2023 and August 2024 as compared to the corresponding previous year

In the year since the Pink Booths came up in Ghaziabad last September 3, more women felt empowered to report crimes against them, said Ghaziabad police on Tuesday.

The Pink Booths are located across the district and it has helped women seek police help more easily. These booths are managed by women police officers and personnel and they are in a better position to communicate with women in distress. (HT Photo)

The records indicate that crimes against women reduced by about 23.33% between September 2023 and August 2024 as compared to the corresponding previous year.

A total of 2,666 cases of crimes against women were registered between September 2022 and August 2023, and 2,044 such cases were registered between September 2023 and August 2024, showed the data, with police attributing the rise to better reporting of crime.

The district has 20 such booths which are managed by women and headed by a woman sub-inspetcor. There are nine such booths in rural zone, and six in city and five in trans-Hindon zones.

“Each pink booth is headed by a woman sub inspector and managed by 10 women personnel working round the clock. Due to this initiative, the women sub-inspectors gained experience and five women officers are currently heading police stations in the district,” said Ghaziabad police commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra.

“The Pink Booths are located across the district and it has helped women seek police help more easily. These booths are managed by women police officers and personnel and they are in a better position to communicate with women in distress. Counselling sessions are also held in these booths; for instance, in cases of domestic disputes, the counselling sessions help prevent such situation from getting worse,” said Dinesh Kumar P, additional commissioner of police.

According to records maintained by the Ghaziabad police, dowry deaths reduced by about 36.21% while domestic violence and dowry-related cases reduced by 29.77% during the period between September 2023 and August 2024, as compared to the year prior to that.

Police said there was a reduction of 23.02% in cases of molestation, 24.53% in cases of rape and 16.55% reduction in cases of abduction during the year after Pink Booths were introduced.

The figures further indicate that about 7,048 complaints were received at Pink Booths till August 28, 2024, and 6863 of them were disposed of in the past one year.

The records also indicate that the police intervened and helped in mediation and amicable resolution of about 4861 cases till August 28.