All-women police stations understaffed, study finds

A study to evaluate the functioning of All-women Police Stations (AWPSs) in the State has found them under-staffed and under-resourced, but not lacking in terms of capability and commitment.

The study was sanctioned by the Karnataka Evaluation Authority (KEA) to Consultant Evaluation Organisation PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) India for a comprehensive audit of the functioning of AWPSs. The first AWPS in the State was started at Halasuru Gate in Bengaluru in 1994 and as of date, there are 10 across nine districts including Mysuru, Mangaluru, Dharwad, Belagavi, Udupi, Davangere, Kalaburagi and Shivamogga.

The concept of AWPS is based on the premise that women and children are more comfortable when speaking about their sufferings to other women.

“The study was sanctioned in view of the government’s proposal to have more AWPSs,” KEA Chief Evaluation Officer Brijesh Kumar Dixit said.

The study which was conducted at all the 10 AWPSs found high vacancies. For instance, the Thyagarajanagar station in Bengaluru has only 57 per cent of the sanctioned strength. The reasons cited for higher vacancies in AWPSs include deputations and transfers to other police stations, slow pace of recruitment and deployment of officers to conventional police stations due to huge work load.

AWPSs are empowered to investigate only offences pertaining to atrocities against women and children, immoral trafficking, dowry cases among others. If any complainant approaches the conventional police stations with complaints in any of these categories, they are referred to the district AWPSs.  The 99-page study report reveals that 45 per cent of the officers reported that AWPSs were not adequately equipped and required additional officers and infrastructure. Besides, there is large variation in territorial jurisdiction. The average women population served by an AWPS ranges from two lakh in the Udupi station to more than 23 lakh in the Belagavi station.

The study found that on an average, conviction rates are low as AWPSs officers first try to resolve the case through counselling and negotiations and only when all other alternatives fail and no resolution is reached, arrests are made.

For the record, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of AWPSs (199). There are at least 15-20 constables, two sub-inspectors and one inspector in each station. Two constables are deployed on a regular patrol daily - one each in the morning and afternoon shift.
DH News Service