Telangana government mulls setting up "Women Safety Wing"

After launching the roving 'SHE Teams' in Hyderabad on October 24, 2014, which is tasked with cracking down on eve-teasers and stalkers and providing security to women in society and building their confidence, the concept was extended to all districts and Commissionerates of Telangana.

"The Telangana government is very keen in providing safety and security to women at all places and introduced 'SHE Teams' to prevent harassment to women in public places," a release from the office of Director General of Police said today.

"Now the Telangana government with an intention to prioritise women safety is planning to scale it up by setting up a new wing called as 'Women Safety Wing' which will be headed by Inspector General of Police (Law and Order and in charge Women Safety) Swati Lakra," it said.

Swati Lakra will look after 'Bharosa,' an initiative of Hyderabad City Police, (which is a state-of-the-art centre to support women and children who are victims of violence) and SHE teams in all districts, it said.

On the instructions of Telangana Director General of Police M Mahendar Reddy, dedicated SHE teams have been created in each district headed by one Deputy Superintendent of Police/Assistant Commissioner of Police and these teams will be located in the district headquarters under the direct control of the district/unit officers.

The 'Women Safety Wing' - Hyderabad today began training to all the teams in a phased manner.

In the first batch, training was given for SHE Team members from Warangal, Siddipet, Khammam Commissionerates and Nalgonda.

The members were imparted training on "Gender Sensitisation and functioning of SHE Teams," it said.

A SHE Team comprises a male or female sub-inspector, a woman police constable and three other police constables who carry hidden cameras for video-recording.

The concept of SHE Teams has been extended to all districts and commissionerates of Telangana and has been replicated in six other states - Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh - under different names, officials said.

Till October last year, the SHE Teams had caught 1,464 people red-handed and addressed 3,516 cases.

Overall the reduction in offences (relating to harassment) against women is around 20 per cent, they had said.