Special patrolling team formed for women’s safety, 163 hot spots identified across district

The initiative was launched Saturday evening from the police commissioner’s office in Sector 108, in which 100 two-wheeler vehicles, handled mostly by women police personnel, were flagged off.

The Noida police commissionerate has formed a special patrolling team of 200 police personnel to focus solely on women’s safety in Gautam Budh Nagar, while 163 problem areas for the same have been identified across the same.

The commissioner said this adds to the initiatives taken by the department to focus on women safety, after they set up mahila chaupals in residential areas and women’s safety units in police stations. (Sunil Ghosh/HT file photo. Representative image)

The initiative was launched Saturday evening from the police commissioner’s office in Sector 108, in which 100 two-wheeler vehicles, handled mostly by women police personnel, were flagged off.

The commissioner said this adds to the initiatives taken by the department to focus on women safety, after they set up mahila chaupals in residential areas and women’s safety units in police stations.

“This is a new initiative of the women safety DCP, to be known as Swayamsidhh. The basic idea was to increase patrolling in hotspots where police presence needs to be enhanced for women safety. A lot of research went into the project before the routes and hotpots were finalised,” said district police commissioner Alok Singh.

Police officials also said that inputs about issues and hotspots have also been taken from the public on social media.

Most of these personnel come from various police stations in different numbers in the district.

Singh added that for now, they will work during the daytime hours. Most of the hotspots are around schools, colleges, industrial areas with women centric workforce, metro stations, auto stands etc. The department will keep modifying the list of hotspots based on feedback from the public.

“For now we have been provided a route chart and a list of specific areas where we need to focus more. As the days progress, there will be certain modifications with our schedule depending on instructions from our seniors,” said Alka Chaudhary, a sub-inspector from Bisrakh police station.

She said that for now they don’t foresee any specific challenges and are prepared for any situation that may arise.

“We will be in uniform but going forward we will also run operations similar to the anti-romeo squad in plainclothes. The focus will be solely on improving women’s safety in the district,” she said.