SHE cops to wear trendy dresses

The SHE Team, known for its modus operandi of executing decoy operations to tackle crime against women in the city, is giving its personnel a chance at going chic as part of the work.

“To execute a successful decoy operation, it is compulsory to hide one’s identity as a police officer and for this, we have chosen to wear trendy dresses or whatever attire that helps us be one among the public,” reveals D Kavitha, ACP, SHE Team.

The instructions given out to the teams on the field include one to ensure that the personnel are in tune with the occasion as well. For instance, if the team is on security duty during a Bonalu festival celebration, it will be imperative for the team to don traditional attire, or whatever a majority of the crowd will be in on that day.

The idea, Kavitha says, is not to give out clues to offenders who will be



slightly wary of police personnel in mufti. While male personnel could afford to appear for duty without a shave, perhaps slightly unkempt or whatever it would take to shake off the tough cop look, the female personnel would not have to compulsorily wear their hair in tight buns and be as casual as possible.

“Miscreants target women during festival celebrations. So our teams were told to blend in with the crowd and keep a tight vigil in that way. It worked, and crimes against women on such occasions have come down,” she says.The move is also part of the department’s motto of ‘friendly policing’, and has seen the Basheerbagh office premises also undergoing a change to get into tune with the new approach.

“A cool and peaceful atmosphere can easily help visitors feel at ease. His or her comfort can also make it easier for the investigation officer to help,” the ACP says, adding that the department was making all efforts towards building trust and hope among the public.