Two months ago, 51 pink Hoysalas were launched amid much fanfare with the aim of helping women and children in the city and also to empower female police personnel who would be a part of the patrolling team. While the first goal is being met with relative success, the project has brought to light an issue plaguing city police force – the low number of female personnel. Most of the vehicles are now being manned by policemen.
The Police Department had planned to deploy pink Hoysalas with three women staff members in each vehicle at sensitive locations in the city. “Women staff opted have out owing to several reasons,” said a senior police officer. “Given that they are lesser in number than men, they are overworked. Representation of women police in every station is abysmal.”
Even the two all-woman police stations — at Ulsoor Gate and Basavanagudi — are understaffed. “The women inspectors heading these stations have been assigned on a temporary basis or are there ‘on official duty’,” another officer said.
The lack of women in the force is not a new problem. “Right from the beginning, a shortage of women force could be seen not just in the city but throughout the State,” City Police Commissioner Praveen Sood said. “As far as the pink Hoysala is concerned, we had a target of three to four women police personnel per vehicle, but owing to the shortage we are managing with one woman constable, and that too for the day shift. For the night shift, policemen are managing the show. Our target of women personnel in the force is 20%, but at present they make up only 6 to 7%.”
The matter came up recently when Nagalakshmi Bai, chairperson, Karnataka State Commission for Women, visited the Police Commissioner to discuss the safety of women in the city. Mr. Sood assured her that vacancies for the Hoysala team would be filled by September 2017. However, it will take at least four years to fill the required posts for the city, he said.
On account of the shortage, Ms. Bai noted that a majority of the police stations across the city are not helping women in distress who approach them for help. “They are either made to wait at the station for a long time to get their complaint registered or the police are not taking necessary action to provide relief,” she said, and added that Mr. Sood had assured to issue a circular to sensitize and direct police officials to take up action on priority on issues related to women and children.
