Kerala

Empowering women to oppose crimes

The recently-launched community policing programme (Jana Maitri Scheme) is helping police to curtail crime against women. Another major contribution of the government-initiative system in the city is the empowerment of the fair sex.

“Women are now not hesitant to report offences against them, including those committed by their husbands and in-laws. They are getting to know their rights and helping the police reduce the crime rate,” says Anup Kuruvilla John, City Police Commissioner, Kozhikode.

Full-fledged community policing has been introduced in the limits of the Kasaba, Panniyankara and Chemmangad police stations, Mr. John said.

The scheme focuses on taking steps to prevent thefts and harassment of women; prevention of ill treatment of children and drug abuse and improving relationship between the police and the public.

Women constables visit neighbourhoods to collect suggestions from women about the locality.

They are also made aware on laws empowering women and against domestic violence. Constables visit residential areas.

This is apart from an assistant sub-inspector or a head constable entrusted with a beat duty in a locality. Usually a policeman/policewoman cover an area of three square km or approximately 500 houses.

Statistics with the District Crime Record Bureau reveal that crime against women has moderately come down in the city in three years.

A downward trend is seen in cases of rape, kidnapping, including abduction for prostitution and other harassment against women. No murder case has been reported so far this year. Incidents of murder for dowry by burning and other means have also not been reported.

The number of the cases of outraging modesty of women has decreased. Cases pertaining to cruelty by husband or his relatives have increased.

Nearly 85 cases have been reported in six months. However, offences of hurt cases against women and other offences have declined in the past three years.

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