Female motorbike police rev up India's fight against gender crimes

NEW DELHI - An all-female police motorbike squad is set to take to Delhi's streets next month, a senior police official said, as reports of violence against women rise in the Indian capital.

The 'Raftaar' or 'Speed' squad of 600 policewomen will ride in pairs through the streets on state-of-the-art motorbikes, equipped with guns, pepper sprays and body cameras.

"Basically it is a robust street criminal containment strategy," Delhi police spokesman Dependra Pathak told The Hindustan Times.

"There will be a specifically designed helmets with earpieces. The pillion will carry a weapon like an AK-47 rifle and the rider carrying a 9 mm pistol.

"They will have all the accessories to make them effective on the ground."

Women and girls in India face multiple threats - from rape, abduction and dowry-related murder to sexual harassment and acid attacks.

An October poll by Reuters found New Delhi, along with Brazil's Sao Paulo, was the world's worst megacity for sex crimes against women.

Reports of violence against women in the city have almost doubled since 2012, with 11,588 crimes, such as kidnapping and assault, recorded up to Nov 15 this year, police data shows.

Backlash

Public awareness of violence against women in Delhi, particularly sex attacks, has surged since the fatal gang-rape of a 23-year-old student on a bus in 2012.

The case triggered a wave of public protests across the country, throwing a global spotlight on gender violence in the world's second most populous nation.

Indian authorities enacted stricter punishments for gender crimes, and set up a 24-hour women's helpline, fast-track courts for rape cases and a fund to finance crisis centers for victims.

Women's desks in many of Delhi's police stations have been established, thousands of police received gender sensitization classes, and Delhi has more patrols, surveillance and checkpoints at night.

Reuters