The policewomen making streets safer for females

A new all-female motorcycle police unit in New Delhi has helped drive down incidents of harassment and intimidation against women in the Indian capital.

The Raftaar (speed) unit consists of around 40 female officers, all on motorbikes, and has helped reduce street harassment of women by 30 per cent, according to police figures.

Since the unit’s formation, the number of incidents of stalking, molestation and “eve-teasing” — wolf whistling and general intimidation of women — has fallen in several areas of the city.

Street harassment of women in the Indian capital is a constant menace, with police and women’s groups offering helplines for females who feel unsafe. Special focus was put on the safety of women after the gang rape and murder of a female student on a bus in New Delhi in 2012.

According to official statistics, 233 crimes against women were registered between October last year and February this year. But there has been just 163 since the Raftaar unit was introduced in March.

Police chiefs say the team has managed to rescue women from stalkers and sexual predators during 24-hour patrols on the streets. Members keep a special eye on university campuses, shopping malls, metro stations and parks.

Vijayanta Arya, the additional deputy commissioner of police, who is in charge of the squad, said that the team was formed in March due to the problem of women being harassed on the city’s streets.

She said having the officers in pairs and on motorbikes means they can access most areas in safety.

“We have chosen young and energetic women personnel who underwent rigorous training to combat strangers, and have the ability to make victims feel comfortable,” she told India Today.