Long hours, toilet access big concerns for women police officers in Bengaluru

We were at the 112 police helpline call centre on Infantry Road when a call came in on one of the lines. It was a suicide attempt. The moment was startling. But 29-year-old sub-inspector Swathi (name changed) was unfazed.

“I have seen a fair share of suicides, rape cases, POCSO cases and domestic abuse while working at other stations,” said Swathi, who has been in the force for seven years. Swathi is one of about 3,000 women police officers in Bengaluru.

The number of women officers has grown exponentially in the last three decades, noted Seemant Kumar Singh, Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru City. Out of a 25,000-strong police force, 5,000 make up the reserve police. The rest make up the civil police, under which are law and order, crime, traffic and others. The aim is to reserve 33% of seats for women. For now, the number of positions for women goes up by 3–5% every year, he added.

It was in the mid-’90s that women started entering the force. Held back by lack of access to toilets at stations and unsafe work conditions, and with no transport of their own, they had a seemingly insurmountable task of upholding the law. Three decades on, things have changed drastically, but some issues remain, said women officers who spoke to DH on Sunday.

Long hours

The women officers attend to all women-related and sensitive cases, sometimes returning to the station after completing a full day of work when a new complaint comes in, said Amrita (name changed), a sub-inspector with five years of experience.

“Most of these cases come in after 8 pm or on weekends. Typically it is domestic abuse or a brawl between an inebriated couple,” she explained. Being on stand-by at all hours is challenging. She hopes the issue can be resolved by hiring more female staff.

For the tougher, more serious cases, male officers are preferred, said another officer. “We are ready for any challenge, whether it is double murder, theft, missing person cases, protests or riots,” she said, adding that gender awareness programmes within the department have helped. “But we still have a long way to go.”

For instance, women hesitate to make use of the menstrual leave policy because they are uncomfortable talking about menstruation to male superiors.

An officer, who is currently part of the Hoysala fleet, pointed out that several women step away from policing after becoming mothers.

While the commissioner’s office is equipped with a daycare facility for kids, it would make a huge difference to women officers if there was at least one crèche in every division, Swathi stated.

Taking the wheel

As part of their training, women are taught to handle two-wheelers and four-wheelers. Singh shared that the department switched to lighter bikes like Activa and Scooty, which are easier for women to handle. “Earlier, there was a problem with heavy bikes, so we invested in bikes with lower cubic capacity (cc). However, women are trained to ride heavier bikes too,” he said. During the monthly Commissioner’s Parade, held on the first Friday of the month, Singh was escorted by women riding 350cc bikes to mark International Women’s Day.

Toilet access

Between 2007 and 2008, woman police constable Uma (name changed) was posted at the V V Puram police station. “The station had a men’s toilet. But nothing for women. I would go to a nearby church, which had a women’s toilet, to relieve myself,” she recalled.

While most stations now have restroom facilities for women, they still face challenges while in the field.

“Most days, we are outdoors  for 8–10 hours. Finding a toilet is not easy. We often end up going to nearby shops or restaurants,” Amrita shared.

Three months ago, the department launched three mobile toilets donated by an NGO. The toilets, made at a cost of Rs 15 lakh, follow three specific routes: Thanisandra, Adugodi and Mysuru Road, and have 91 halting points.

In November 2023 the police installed Neravu Kendras cabin-like structures equipped with a bed toilet first-aid kit and running water at 60 locations across the city. DH Photo/Kishore Kumar Bolar

Seemant Kumar Singh

Cut-off box - Neravu Kendra
In November 2023 the police installed Neravu Kendras cabin-like structures equipped with a bed toilet first-aid kit and running water at 60 locations across the city. They are manned by women officers and are meant to help female citizens in distress. Singh shared that some of these Kendras were located in places without a large footfall and hence were not being used to their full potential. They plan to move some of the cabins to areas that are more crowded.