Hyderabad, Oct 29 (PTI) The offences against womenhere have come down by around 20 per cent since the setting upof 'SHE Teams', the Hyderabad Police's wing tasked withcracking down on eve-teasers and stalkers, a senior officialhas said.
The 'SHE Teams' were launched on October 24, 2014 inHyderabad with the aim of curbing sexual harassment at allplaces and providing safety and security to women in thesociety and building up their confidence.
A SHE Team comprises a male or female sub-inspector, awoman police constable and three other police constables whocarry hidden cameras for video-recording.
"Over the past three years, the SHE Teams have caught1,464 people red-handed and addressed 3,516 cases. Overall thereduction in offences (relating to harassment) against womenis around 20 per cent," Additional Commissioner of Police(crimes and SIT) Swati Lakra said.
Among those who were caught included 363 minors,another police official said, said adding that 20 per cent ofthe offenders were jailed and 80 per cent were fined. Besides,950 others caught were warned and let-off.
"The culprits are nabbed red-handed with the personnelof the SHE Teams using discreet cameras to record the offenceas and when it is committed, and by acting on complaintsreceived through WhatsApp and various other social mediaplatforms, email and post," the official said.
According to Lakra, numerous awareness programmeshave been conducted to educate women on self-defencetechniques and ways of staying clear of cyber crimes.
Campaigns have been conducted successfully to empowerwomen and make them feel confident, she said.
In all, 3,516 complaints were received through variousmeans and addressed upon, a police official said.
The complaints were related to offences like stalking,harassment on phone, passing lewd comments, harassment throughsocial media, touching inappropriately, taking photos withoutthe victim's knowledge and creating nuisance at girls'colleges and hostels, police said.
"The cases are registered suo motu when the victimisedwomen doesn't come forward to register a case. In most cases,the offender's family members are called to the police stationas it has been observed that arraigning the offender beforehis near and dear ones has a positive impact," a policeofficial said.
"If the offender is a minor, he is counselledindividually before his family members (usually parents) by apanel of psychologists to mend his ways and the details ofthese conversations are recorded. If the offender is a major,a case is booked. The cases are registered only after athorough inquiry," the official explained.
The concept of SHE Teams has been extended to alldistricts and commissionerates of Telangana and it has beenreplicated in six other states - Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh,Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh - underdifferent names, Lakra said.
The concept of such police teams has also beenintroduced in the intermediate curriculum of the TelanganaState Board, she said.
To increase the horizon of training activities carriedout by SHE Teams, a 15-minute free e-learning course has beeninitiated with the sole purpose of raising public awareness onwomen's safety, police added. PTI VVKGK.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.
