Bengaluru police hold awareness campaign on women’s safety

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda travelled in a BMTC bus as part of the campaign. Credit: Special arrangement

The Bengaluru police are reaching out to women travelling on BMTC buses and at bus stands, industrial areas, and residential areas to gauge their sense of safety and identify any additional safety measures required.

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda, who travelled in a BMTC bus in the Central Business District (CBD) area, told DH: "All rank officers starting from police constables, including myself, from both law and order and traffic departments participated in the awareness programme held on Monday. This initiative will continue in the coming days."

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All eight division deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) took to the streets to raise awareness. They used microphones to inform women about existing safety measures and encouraged them to contact the police by dialling 112 or using the emergency button in the Karnataka State Police (KSP) application or on safety islands.

Following the awareness programme, Dayananda held a video conference with senior officials, including DCPs and police inspectors, to gather feedback on their experiences.

The police inspectors reported several safety issues raised by women, such as eve-teasing, drunken disturbances, inadequate lighting, and malfunctioning CCTV cameras on BMTC buses. The police will coordinate with relevant departments to address these issues.

The city has approximately 30 women safety islands installed to aid those in distress. Women can go to these islands and press the emergency button, prompting the police to respond within minutes.

Additional Commissioners of Police of East and West zones; Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic; and DCPs of all eight law and order and four traffic divisions were part of the awareness programme.

The officers also educated women on using social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and encouraged them to utilise the WhatsApp complaint number 9480801000.

Women were made to save 112 in their mobile contacts and download the KSP application on their smartphones. Brochures detailing safety measures initiated by the city police were also distributed.