‘Do safety checks before getting in’

Deputy commissioner of police (detection) Nisar Tamboli, believes that police presence around the city acts as a deterrent for potential offenders, but suggests that women should take certain basic precautionary measures to avoid getting harassed. Excerpts from the interview.

Deputy commissioner of police (detection) Nisar Tamboli, believes that police presence around the city acts as a deterrent for potential offenders, but suggests that women should take certain basic precautionary measures to avoid getting harassed. Excerpts from the interview:

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What are the police doing to prevent women from being harassed when they use public transport?
There is no street, road or chowk where you will not find a policeman, and police presence acts as a major deterrent. If a culprit spots a policeman in the vicinity, he will not misbehave. The nakabandis and random checks conducted also make a difference. Also, if a woman approaches the police, immediate and appropriate action is taken.

There are several unlicenced cabbies driving on the city roads. Are they the ones behind the incidents of harassment?
We can’t pinpoint a particular group, though I admit there are some criminal elements involved with such illegal drivers. The traffic department conducts regular drives to check on unlicenced drivers.