Women in distress can now call a dedicated helpline and speak to women police officers posted at the police control room.
The number – 74499 00111- has been launched by Bidhannagar commissionerate and will work in addition to the standard dial “100” number that can be called during an emergency. The number has been conceptualised keeping in mind that a lot of women feel more comfortable reporting crimes or narrating their experience to a woman rather than to a man.
The number was launched last weekend at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre at the police’s co-ordination meeting with puja committees. Commissioner Gaurav Sharma said the number will be operational during Durga Puja as well as all other days of the year.
“We have started the helpline and this will remain operational throughout the year now. The reason for starting such a helpline is to encourage women to report crimes and not keep quiet about it,” said Sharma.
Once the number is dialed, the police personnel at the other end of the call will take down the location of the caller. Women-only police teams or the Winners Squad — a team of scooty-borne woman constables and officers – will then be dispatched to the spot to assist the victim. This team was formed to check cases of molestation and eve-teasing in the commissionerate area.
These teams will, in turn, work closely with the local police stations and take assistance from them whenever required, said a senior officer of the commissionerate.
Apart from the helpline, the police also launched a mobile app for members of Saanjhbati - the elderly outreach programme of Bidhannagar Commissionerate. The app will list out services available to them and provide discounts from health institutions and hospitals that the police have tied up with.
But the app will be a closed group one, accessible only by members. It will be made available to them by the nodal police co-ordination officers at each police station. “This app will need a username and password to function and will only be given out to Saanjhbati members,” said Sharma.
The meeting was attended by puja committees in the commissionerate and they were asked not to use dazzling laser lights, especially in areas near the airport like Baguiati, New Town, Salt Lake and Kestopur as this can cause temporary blindness to pilots heading to land at the airport.
The police also asked pujas to install sound limiters on their loudspeakers and public address systems and to use them in a way that people are not inconvenienced. Apart from this, the use of sky lanterns and the hiring of DJs during the immersion procession is also prohibited.
