While Delhi police has gone on an overdrive to ensure safety of women in the city, it has done little for the safety of its own women cadre. Despite working for the city’s police, the female staff working for Delhi Police do not feel safe in the Capital. Last October, the Supreme Court had directed all regulatory bodies to set up a committee to deal with cases of sexual harassment in the workplace. In this regard, the Apex Committee Against Sexual Harassment (ACASH) was set up. Delhi police also has ACASH where women staff can register their complaint.
But much to her dismay, this reporter found out that none of the women cops she interacted with was aware of any such committee. Additional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of police of various districts were contacted to know the details of the complaints. It was startling to find out that none of the ACASH set up in various districts of Delhi Police had received any complaint of harassment in the workplace.
Devesh Srivastava, Deputy Commissioner of police (central), said, ‘We make our staff aware through Sampark Sabha, meant to listen to problems of the staff. Also the circular distributed to every police station by police head quarters mentioned about ACASH.’ When a few police stations were contacted about the circulars and Sampark Sabha, they denied being aware of the existence of any such committee. Even the female staff posted at police headquarters were unaware of it. ‘It is for the first time that we are hearing about any such committee under which we could register our complaints apart from lodging an FIR at the concerned police station,’ one of the wing constables added.
The reporter visited various police stations in different districts to know the problems the female staff was going through. While they admitted to harassment of various kinds and degrees at the work place, they lacked confidence and refused to come on record and speak out in the absence a mechanism to redress their grievances.
The major problem that every female cop is facing is duty during the wee hours. Most are afraid to go back home alone once duty hours get over.
‘Most of the time I wind up my work by 11 pm, but we do not get a drop back home. If I leave from the police station in uniform, then chances of being attacked are lesser but if I am in civil dress then the threat is much higher,’ said one female constable. In a recent incident, a female constable posted at Jagatpuri police station was molested in a DTC bus. Another woman constable who often does night duties, said, ‘If I pressurise the station head officer to provide me with a drop facility specially in the late night, they give me the option to stay in the rest room provided for the women staff.’
Weekly off or leaves are the biggest problem that women staff face. ‘Whenever we ask senior officers about a weekly off, it is denied,’ a cop who faced the problem said, requesting anonymity.
‘We are women and have other responsibilities as well. We have a family and being a mother means we also have to keep track of our children,’ said a married female cop.
When Chhaya Sharma, deputy commissioner of police (South) was contacted, she refused to comment on the problems that female police staff are facing.
But much to her dismay, this reporter found out that none of the women cops she interacted with was aware of any such committee. Additional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of police of various districts were contacted to know the details of the complaints. It was startling to find out that none of the ACASH set up in various districts of Delhi Police had received any complaint of harassment in the workplace.
Devesh Srivastava, Deputy Commissioner of police (central), said, ‘We make our staff aware through Sampark Sabha, meant to listen to problems of the staff. Also the circular distributed to every police station by police head quarters mentioned about ACASH.’ When a few police stations were contacted about the circulars and Sampark Sabha, they denied being aware of the existence of any such committee. Even the female staff posted at police headquarters were unaware of it. ‘It is for the first time that we are hearing about any such committee under which we could register our complaints apart from lodging an FIR at the concerned police station,’ one of the wing constables added.
The reporter visited various police stations in different districts to know the problems the female staff was going through. While they admitted to harassment of various kinds and degrees at the work place, they lacked confidence and refused to come on record and speak out in the absence a mechanism to redress their grievances.
The major problem that every female cop is facing is duty during the wee hours. Most are afraid to go back home alone once duty hours get over.
‘Most of the time I wind up my work by 11 pm, but we do not get a drop back home. If I leave from the police station in uniform, then chances of being attacked are lesser but if I am in civil dress then the threat is much higher,’ said one female constable. In a recent incident, a female constable posted at Jagatpuri police station was molested in a DTC bus. Another woman constable who often does night duties, said, ‘If I pressurise the station head officer to provide me with a drop facility specially in the late night, they give me the option to stay in the rest room provided for the women staff.’
Weekly off or leaves are the biggest problem that women staff face. ‘Whenever we ask senior officers about a weekly off, it is denied,’ a cop who faced the problem said, requesting anonymity.
‘We are women and have other responsibilities as well. We have a family and being a mother means we also have to keep track of our children,’ said a married female cop.
When Chhaya Sharma, deputy commissioner of police (South) was contacted, she refused to comment on the problems that female police staff are facing.