Thiruvananthapuram: Women in the capital city can be bit relaxed, for the Pink Squad has started its work in right earnest. And the women find it easy to approach the squad made entirely of women officers, too.
“A few days ago, a plus-one girl student, stalked by young men, approached us saying she was afraid of them,” said the woman SI who was in charge that day. “She wanted us to accompany her. We escorted to her destination though we could not nab the stalkers.”
Three patrol vehicles cruise through different routes in the city, covering schools, colleges, hospitals, residential areas, railway stations and bus stops. “The presence of the Pink Patrol at various points instills a lot of confidence in the people,” police control room assistant commissioner V. Sureshkumar said.
Most of the 31-strong squad’s cases are a result of their direct engagement with the public. “Women officers don’t step out often,” said the lady SI. “So we cherish this opportunity to meet people.”
The interventions are not restricted to typical police cases. “For instance, a few people complained that a teenager was not going to school because her mother was not keen on it. We then got the child enrolled at a government school nearby,” she said. On any given day, each of the three patrol teams with four women officials including an officer, travel 90-100 km.
The squad gets about 10 calls a day on the Pink Control Room helpline number 1515. “This does not work all the time, and that must be the reason for the fewer number of calls,’ said an official. The number, for the moment, is connected only to BSNL numbers. The issue is being addressed and callers can dial 1091 or 181 which will redirect callers to the control room, the officials said.
