Rajahmundry police's SHE teams in Andhra crack down on street sexual harassment

The teams have identified and counselled more than 1,000 culprits who harass women.
Rajahmundry police's SHE teams in Andhra crack down on street sexual harassment
Rajahmundry police's SHE teams in Andhra crack down on street sexual harassment
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Following the success of SHE teams in Hyderabad, a similar initiative in Rajahmundry has identified more than 1,000 culprits who harass women.

Nine FIRs have also been filed in the last seven months against people harassing women, especially college-going students.

Two SHE teams were formed in July 2016 to check sexual harassment of women at public places. This included college students and working women, who were harassed at bus stops and other public spaces.

The police also released a Whatsapp number 9493206335, where they could be contacted and complaints could be lodged. 

According to reports, the teams received 866 complaints till December 31, 2016, of which 854 cases were given counselling, while the more serious cases saw an FIR being lodged, and cases being booked.

A complaint box has also been set up at various educational institutions, where women can write their complaint, with their details, and drop it for the police to read.

Rajahmundry Urban SP B. Raja Kumari told Deccan Chronicle, "We are confident that the women can walk freely on the roads in city to go to college or to other public places as we have created an atmosphere in the city that no eve-teasing will be tolerated at any cost as personnel from SHE teams are on prowl to attend to calls of trouble from the victims swiftly."

The SHE teams, which were first introduced in Hyderabad, completed two years in October last year.

At the time, the police released statistics which showed that crimes against women fell by 20% from 1,521 cases in 2015 to 1,296 in 2016.

Launched on October 26 in 2014, each SHE team in Hyderabad comprises of five undercover women police personnel, who have been provided with cameras to record acts of harassment in public.

The teams have also been tasked with dealing with online harassment of women and cyber bullying.

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