(Protection of women in Public, Private & Digital Space)
In recent times, there has been a perceived increase in crimes against women, particularly with regards to dowry harassments/marital problems, online abuse, stalking, molestation, rape etc. The COVID lockdowns have also given more opportunities for such harassments to increase and so there is urgent need to devise a comprehensive project to deal with the emerging problems and also to revitalise our existing women friendly schemes. In this regard a special project titled “Pink Protection Project’’ (Protection of women in public, private& digital space) is launched with the following ingredients.
1.Pink Patrol
Pink Patrol has been specifically introduced to address issues specifically related to safety, security of Women & Children in Public Space, and it is proposed to strengthen the system further is the work of the present issues.
The Pink Patrol with cars (Etios & Swift) equipped with GPS tracking devices, camera installed on the front and rear sides of the vehicles sending continuous visuals to the Police control room and vehicles are operated by women police officers. Each car has three (1+3) Women Police Officer/ personnel. The patrol cars are deployed in areas that have high presence of women and functions between 8 am to 8 pm. In each district, the Pink Control Room has a command & control centre with trained police personnel, which is now fully synchronized with ERSS number “112”. Whenever control room receives a call from 1515, it flashes the same on the concerned MDT in the pink patrol vehicle. On receiving such calls, the pink patrol vehicle moves to the victim’s location for providing assistance. We propose to increase the number of Pink Patrols to five numbers in each police districts, to effectively address the issues related to women. This will ensure better presence in public areas and faster response to calls in districts.
2. Pink Janamaithry Beats:
The present issues of dowry harassment, dowry deaths, marital discords are problems limited to “inside the households” and so the Police action to prevent these crimes are highly limited. These cases can only be handled when complaints are received formally. To collect information/intelligence on such crimes, it is planned to start a dedicated “Pink Beat team” consisting of 1 WCPO / 1 CPO who will be entrusted for patrolling, in the certain prescribed areas and they will be entrusted with data collection on women harassment incidents inside homes. Pink Janamaithry Beats while visiting the houses will question the neighbors, Panchayat members, local volunteers and they will collect information on such unreported marital discords/harassments and report the same to the SHO for remedial action. They will also keep a tab on newly wedded couples and families to ensure that dowry harassments and related issues do not flame up.
3.‘Pink Control Room’
‘Pink Control Room’ with ‘Pink Beats’ was set up as a solution for handling of emergency calls and signals from women & children in distress. The Pink Beat included specially trained women police personnel. Who were entrusted the task of preventing crimes against women like molestation, eve teasing in areas of public thoroughfare. These police personnel patrol the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private state carriers and at bus stops, schools, colleges and other public places to prevent and detect such offences. At present, Pink Control Rooms are there in 14 police districts (Thiruvananthapuram City, Thiruvananthapuram Rural, Kollam City, Pathanamthitta, Allepey, Kottayam, Kochi City, Ernakulam Rural, Thrissur City, Palakkad, Malapuram, Kozhikode City, Kannur & Kasargod). Pink Beats will now be activated in all such public places by the SHO’s concerned.
4.Pink Shadow
Pink shadow patrolling team will be introduced in Police Districts operating from Women Police Station, in the areas that have high presence of women. These personnel in mufty, will monitor the insides of the crowded public buses for misuse and hassle, but also look out for anti-social activities at bus stops, schools and other vulnerable areas. They will act as decoys to catch habitual eve teases and molesters.
5.Pink Romeo
This is the Bike Patrolling team introduced in certain Police Districts in the areas that have high presence of women and operating from Women Police Station and entrusted with Quarantine checking & Beat Patrol. This will be introduced in all the Police districts, both as a security measure and for Covid protocol implementation.
6. Pink Digital Drive
To address the issues related to online harassment of women on the digital platform/phone and the social media, all the cyber cells/cyberdomes and cyber police stations will conduct a special digital patrolling drive to take down all such websites/groups/pages responsible for digital harassment of women. Stringent cases will be registered against offenders indulging in stalking and harassment of women in public space. Take profile in social media will be targeted and identified and strict action under IT Act will be taken against such offenders.
7.Vanitha Cells & Counseling Centres.
Vanitha Cells are functioning in all Police districts where petition on harassment against women, family dispute are handled on a large scale. DPC’s will ensure that the counseling centres are activated in all Vanitha cells, with the assistance of counselors from the Social Welfare Department or from reputed NGO’s, so that such petitions are handled effectively. The Counseling centres should be the first line dispute redressal forum for all family related cases.
8. Immediate Response.
All projects for protection of women will fail, if there is no immediate and quick response to complaints received from them. In this regard all SHO’s, Vanitha Cells, Cyber Cells, Police Station etc. should be energized and activated to ensure a positive bias to complaints received from women. DPC’s should organize special Classes / Awareness sessions to ensure that the officers are motivated to deal with all such complaints effectively & quickly.
9. Digital App / POL-App.
Kerala Police has already launched an App “NIRBHAYAM” Exclusively for women for women in distress, with an emergency button – the same feature is already available in the Integrated App of Kerala Police, POL-App. The women can be encouraged to download these apps and use the same in “emergency” situations.
PINK PROTECTION PROJECT
PINK PROTECTION PROJECT
(Protection of women in Public, Private & Digital Space)
In recent times, there has been a perceived increase in crimes against women, particularly with regards to dowry harassments/marital problems, online abuse, stalking, molestation, rape etc. The COVID lockdowns have also given more opportunities for such harassments to increase and so there is urgent need to devise a comprehensive project to deal with the emerging problems and also to revitalise our existing women friendly schemes. In this regard a special project titled “Pink Protection Project’’ (Protection of women in public, private& digital space) is launched with the following ingredients.
1. Pink Patrol
Pink Patrol has been specifically introduced to address issues specifically related to safety, security of Women & Children in Public Space, and it is proposed to strengthen the system further is the work of the present issues.
The Pink Patrol with cars (Etios & Swift) equipped with GPS tracking devices, camera installed on the front and rear sides of the vehicles sending continuous visuals to the Police control room and vehicles are operated by women police officers. Each car has three (1+3) Women Police Officer/ personnel. The patrol cars are deployed in areas that have high presence of women and functions between 8 am to 8 pm. In each district, the Pink Control Room has a command & control centre with trained police personnel, which is now fully synchronized with ERSS number “112”. Whenever control room receives a call from 1515, it flashes the same on the concerned MDT in the pink patrol vehicle. On receiving such calls, the pink patrol vehicle moves to the victim’s location for providing assistance. We propose to increase the number of Pink Patrols to five numbers in each police districts, to effectively address the issues related to women. This will ensure better presence in public areas and faster response to calls in districts.
2. Pink Janamaithry Beats:
The present issues of dowry harassment, dowry deaths, marital discords are problems limited to “inside the households” and so the Police action to prevent these crimes are highly limited. These cases can only be handled when complaints are received formally. To collect information/intelligence on such crimes, it is planned to start a dedicated “Pink Beat team” consisting of 1 WCPO / 1 CPO who will be entrusted for patrolling, in the certain prescribed areas and they will be entrusted with data collection on women harassment incidents inside homes. Pink Janamaithry Beats while visiting the houses will question the neighbors, Panchayat members, local volunteers and they will collect information on such unreported marital discords/harassments and report the same to the SHO for remedial action. They will also keep a tab on newly wedded couples and families to ensure that dowry harassments and related issues do not flame up.
3. ‘Pink Control Room’
‘Pink Control Room’ with ‘Pink Beats’ was set up as a solution for handling of emergency calls and signals from women & children in distress. The Pink Beat included specially trained women police personnel. Who were entrusted the task of preventing crimes against women like molestation, eve teasing in areas of public thoroughfare. These police personnel patrol the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private state carriers and at bus stops, schools, colleges and other public places to prevent and detect such offences. At present, Pink Control Rooms are there in 14 police districts (Thiruvananthapuram City, Thiruvananthapuram Rural, Kollam City, Pathanamthitta, Allepey, Kottayam, Kochi City, Ernakulam Rural, Thrissur City, Palakkad, Malapuram, Kozhikode City, Kannur & Kasargod). Pink Beats will now be activated in all such public places by the SHO’s concerned.
4. Pink Shadow
Pink shadow patrolling team will be introduced in Police Districts operating from Women Police Station, in the areas that have high presence of women. These personnel in mufty, will monitor the insides of the crowded public buses for misuse and hassle, but also look out for anti-social activities at bus stops, schools and other vulnerable areas. They will act as decoys to catch habitual eve teases and molesters.
5. Pink Romeo
This is the Bike Patrolling team introduced in certain Police Districts in the areas that have high presence of women and operating from Women Police Station and entrusted with Quarantine checking & Beat Patrol. This will be introduced in all the Police districts, both as a security measure and for Covid protocol implementation.
6. Pink Digital Drive
To address the issues related to online harassment of women on the digital platform/phone and the social media, all the cyber cells/cyberdomes and cyber police stations will conduct a special digital patrolling drive to take down all such websites/groups/pages responsible for digital harassment of women. Stringent cases will be registered against offenders indulging in stalking and harassment of women in public space. Take profile in social media will be targeted and identified and strict action under IT Act will be taken against such offenders.
7. Vanitha Cells & Counseling Centres.
Vanitha Cells are functioning in all Police districts where petition on harassment against women, family dispute are handled on a large scale. DPC’s will ensure that the counseling centres are activated in all Vanitha cells, with the assistance of counselors from the Social Welfare Department or from reputed NGO’s, so that such petitions are handled effectively. The Counseling centres should be the first line dispute redressal forum for all family related cases.
8. Immediate Response.
All projects for protection of women will fail, if there is no immediate and quick response to complaints received from them. In this regard all SHO’s, Vanitha Cells, Cyber Cells, Police Station etc. should be energized and activated to ensure a positive bias to complaints received from women. DPC’s should organize special Classes / Awareness sessions to ensure that the officers are motivated to deal with all such complaints effectively & quickly.
9. Digital App / POL-App.
Kerala Police has already launched an App “NIRBHAYAM” Exclusively for women for women in distress, with an emergency button – the same feature is already available in the Integrated App of Kerala Police, POL-App. The women can be encouraged to download these apps and use the same in “emergency” situations.