Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai
Mumbai, Jul 30: Mumbai Police is set to roll out 'Buddy Cop Squads' across the city to enhance the safety of women travelling home late at night, providing them with a direct link to their local police stations through dedicated WhatsApp groups.
The initiative, introduced as part of the force's zero-tolerance policy towards crimes against women, requires every police station to form a team of eight to 10 personnel, including women police officers, to respond to emergencies involving women returning from late-night or graveyard shifts.
Under the programme, women will be connected to dedicated WhatsApp groups monitored round the clock. Those who feel unsafe while travelling can share their live location, send a distress message or request immediate police assistance. The nearest police personnel will then coordinate a prompt response.
The initiative was approved in May, with implementation beginning in June. Senior officers have now directed all police stations to intensify awareness campaigns to ensure more women are informed about the facility.
Senior Inspector Mahendra Shinde of Dindoshi police station said the programme aims to provide women with an accessible point of contact through both the Buddy Cop Squad and the emergency helpline 112.
He said women who feel unsafe or face an emergency while travelling can immediately share their location and seek assistance, adding that the objective is to assure them that the local police are only a call or message away.
Police clarified that the Buddy Cop Squads will complement, and not replace, the existing Nirbhaya Squads, which will continue to patrol and respond to crimes against women.
The initiative is expected to benefit women employed in hospitals, IT companies, call centres, BPOs, offices, shopping malls, factories and other establishments operating late-night shifts.
To spread awareness, police stations will conduct outreach programmes and publicise the initiative through posters, banners and public awareness campaigns, encouraging women to make use of the service whenever they require assistance.