CHENNAI: The ambitious Singappen Special Force (SSF) to prevent crimes against women was launched by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday. The force has been rolled out with 280 personnel in 70 patrol units.
The strength of the force will be increased to 2,545 members in a phased manner and Rs 354 crore will be allocated in the first phase.
The personnel will be equipped with advanced surveillance drones, four-wheeler and two-wheeler patrols, and body-worn cameras with live-streaming and video call option.
Speaking at the launch, the CM asserted that drugs must be eradicated for women’s safety and the new force will play a vital role in preventive policing to stop crimes before they occur. “For the first time in India, drone patrolling will be introduced to prevent crimes against women,” he said.
The CM said the roots for crime against women could be invariably traced to drugs and that menace had to be eradicated first. Taking a dig at the previous regimes led by the DMK and the AIADMK, the CM said, “This (drug menace) didn’t just sprout out of nowhere overnight. This is a problem that has been around for years.”
‘SSF recruitment will gradually increase’
“Because it was ignored for all these years, the roots have grown this deep. I don’t really need to be the one to tell you who ignored it all this time; you know it very well. Talking about that now is useless. First, this prevalence of drugs must be uprooted,” Vijay added.
He expressed confidence that once the drug menace is eliminated, women’s safety will improve and this will lead to a better law and order situation. “Women should lead a dignified life at educational institutes, offices and other places free of fear. That is our primary target,” he said.
“I have been speaking softly so far, but the punishment for those who threaten or disturb women’s safety will be severe. This is a warning to anyone who believes they can harass women and escape the consequences.
The filing of chargesheets and the process of securing punishment will be swift, but the police must ensure that no innocent person is wrongly implicated. Only when offenders receive strict punishment will it serve as a deterrent to those contemplating similar crimes.”
Explaining about the special force, Vijay said that the government is set to allocate a total of Rs 354 crore in the first phase to create 2,500 new posts.
The special force will concentrate on preventing stalking of women, sexual harassment, kidnapping, lewd comments, and other crimes against women. The special force will be used for field work and preventive action, so that the all women police in the state can concentrate more on investigation and securing punishments for accused in other cases, he said.
Vijay concluded his speech saying that the government understands the dreams and expectations of women, and it is working to implement them gradually.
“A true safe society is not one where women are told to be careful or are protected only by police presence, but where responsibility becomes collective. Singappen is not merely about protecting women but it is about building a society with a changed mindset,” Director General of Police and Head of Police Force Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal said.
Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, K Manivasan also spoke.
Senior officials associated with the force told TNIE that recruitment would be gradually increased. The SSF will function under the supervision of an IGP, with field units reporting to district SPs and Commissioners of Police.
