7 months ago
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Nine months into the ‘Shishtachar’ (discipline/etiquette) drive, Delhi Police officers accidental the squads person offered much than an on-ground deterrence against harassment of women successful nationalist spaces. The dependable beingness of these teams connected the streets, the officers claim, has revealed patterns of mundane misconduct, helped representation pockets wherever offenders gather, enhanced visibility among women, and strengthened the feedback loop, which successful crook has improved policing of specified offences.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer Delhi) Sachin Sharma said the squads person detained 2,885 offenders implicit the past 9 months and recorded a 45% diminution successful crimes against women, including cases of rape, molestation and harassment. “Overall, specified cases person fallen sharply from 302 successful 2024 to 165 successful 2025 (till December 10),” helium said.
DCP (West) Darade Sharad Bhaskar reported akin numbers.
“In 9 months, we person detained implicit 2,500 offenders nether assorted sections. The assistance and position we person received done the inaugural has improved our approach. We person decided to present these squads to each constabulary presumption successful our district,” helium said.
Modelled connected U.P. drive
The inaugural was announced successful March this year, a period aft the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Delhi Assembly election. Establishing squads for women’s safety, akin to the ‘Anti-Romeo Squads’ of Yogi Adityanath’s authorities successful Uttar Pradesh, was 1 of the BJP’s cardinal canvass promises.
Currently, each territory has 2 squads, each comprising 10-12 men and women constabulary personnel. Each fortnight, the squads taxable to the Special Unit for Women and Children a study connected the fig of drives they conducted and the offenders against whom they acted.
Resource mobilisation
Mr. Sharma said the sustained beingness of Shishtachar squads successful his territory has helped them representation hotspots for specified crimes and deploy these teams much efficaciously successful nationalist transport and crowded places specified arsenic markets, schools and colleges.
“In our district, we mapped definite areas successful Nihal Vihar and Ranhola, for instance, wherever the squads reported an uptick successful specified cases. And that helped america mobilise resources better. However, a batch much needs to beryllium done. Engagement with the assemblage is indispensable and we are taking steps towards that,” the serviceman added.
A pistillate constable who did not privation to beryllium identified cited the illustration of Janakpuri’s Bharti College. The exit gross of the woman-only institute meets a engaged roadworthy signal, from wherever men were reportedly passing lewd comments and attempting to interaction students. A Shistachar squad is present deployed extracurricular the assemblage gross during the opening and closing hours.
Sonu, a first-year BA programme student, said the beingness of the squad successful plain apparel has created a consciousness of information among the women students. “We cognize assistance is astatine manus if thing happens. And the boys person stopped loitering due to the fact that they cognize the constabulary could question oregon detain them.”
Other specified hotspots, specified arsenic the Janakpuri C Block postulation signal, person been dealt with similarly, the constable added.
During highest bureau hours, squads crossed the metropolis besides support a ticker implicit nationalist transport, specified arsenic buses, wherever they usher women commuters connected however to usage the ‘Stop’ button, which alerts the operator to halt the bus, the Himmat Plus app, which sends an SOS to the nearest PCR, and the 1091 helpline for women, too the 112 exigency effect system.
Spin-off
Findings from the Shishtachar squad thrust person encouraged the motorboat of much specified initiatives. In the West district, for instance, the constabulary are experimenting with a ‘Sanskarshala (moral values)’ thrust whose purpose is to link with and counsel teenagers idling done the day.
“The Shishtachar thrust highlighted the request to prosecute with young boys, who alternatively of being successful schools and colleges, were idling distant their clip successful nationalist places specified arsenic parks. To link with and absorption connected susceptible youngsters, we came up with our ain inaugural — Sanskarshala,” said Mr. Bhaskar.
He added, “As portion of this drive, dedicated assemblage policing teams behaviour regular tract visits to section parks and nationalist spaces. The teams place and counsel teenagers who person dropped out. The purpose is to sensitise boys connected due behaviour towards women and girls and besides to counsel them against utilizing drugs.”
