SHE Teams completes two years

Stating that the SHE Teams completed two years on Monday, Swati Lakra, IPS, Additional Commissioner of Police, Crimes and SIT enumerated the achievements and progress in the last two years and disclosed about future plans of action.

Talking to the media here on Monday, Swati Lakra said the SHE Teams was launched on October 24 in 2014 with the sole aim and objective of curbing eve-teasing/street harassment and providing a safe and secure Hyderabad City for women. Since the launch, the Teams have worked hard to achieve this aim and will continue to strive towards making Hyderabad City a safe place for women. She said till now a total of 800 delinquents were caught red handed by the teams while on patrol duty including 222 minors and 577 majors. In this connection, two cases under Prevention Detection Act, one case under POCSO Act, 40 cases under Nirbhaya Act, 33 cases under 33 IPC and IT Act were registered in different police stations. Besides, 1,897 petty cases were booked.Swati Lakra disclosed that 41 persons were jailed, 242 were fined and 392 persons were warned and let off.

She said there was a drastic reduction of harassment to women in the public places and a deterrence has been created among the boys as there is a sense of fear that the SHE Teams are watching. Several people have been caught red handed and jailed and cases including those under Criminal Law Amendment Act 2013 (Nirbhaya Act) have been booked. Offenders, who harass women through phone calls, E-mails, Social Media etc are tracked down by dedicated officers using the latest



technology.

In a recent survey conducted during March this year it was found that 76% of people in Hyderabad City are aware of SHE TEAMS and their work, 85% of people who know SHE Teams, feel safer and secured as SHE Teams was successfully operating against criminal elements in the city. Even in the area where there is lowest awareness, 67% of people are aware of work of SHE Teams. She also said 93% of people who are aware of SHE Teams are also aware of role of SHE Teams and how to approach SHE Teams when needed. She said the SHE Teams received 2,362 complaints so far through various means and attended to including 1217 complaints from Dial 100, 322 from face book, 183 from email, 421 direct complaints, 44 Hawk eye (Mobile Application) and 175 Whats app complaints.

AGE WISE CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENDERS :- Minors-23% , 18-20 years-41% , 21-40 years-35% , 41-55 years-0.67% and >55 years-0.33%

NATURE OF OFFENCES:- Stalking-39%, Phone harassment-21% , Passing lewd comments-21%, Harassment through social media, sending photos, videos to the mobile phones-9% , Touching inappropriately-3% , Taking photos without the knowledge of the victim-2% and Creating nuisance near Bust stands, at girls colleges,Hostels etc using 2 Wheeler ,cars-5%

MINOR COUNSELLING SESSIONS : Apart from counselling by the Officers, for minors caught in eve teasing, 9 major professional counselling sessions were conducted in addition to the regular counselling sessions in the presence of their parents.Services of 6 member panel of professional psychologists were taken for this.