Lalbazar plans night drop for women in distress

KOLKATA: The SOP that has been prepared by the police in the wake of model Ushoshi Sengupta’s harassment will ensure that no woman or senior citizen is left stranded on the road at night if they approach the police for help.
Amongst the various dos and don’ts prepared by Lalbazar, the cops have been reminded that the responsibility of getting a complaint registered at the right police station lies with the responding officer. “But his duty will not end with the filing of the case. The cop will have to ensure that such victims are dropped at their residences safely,” said additional CP (I) Jawed Shamim.
Though several instructions regarding filing of FIRs have been standardized, the SOP will help infusing regularity into the system. “The idea of the SOP is to encourage the victims — especially women — to report cases without any fear,” explained another top officer. Sources said that any negligence/deviation from can lead to departmental inquiries.
Night policing has been significantly intensified in the city. “Right now, over 100 crime-prone points are being covered under the supervision of senior police officers, particularly to put a check on crime against women at night. Another 50 has been added to the list,” said a police source.
In another major decision announced by Shamim, local police will combine with traffic police to carry out night nakas at different locations. “The surprise element has to be maintained. We are expecting to carry out these nakas between 10pm and 1.30am at night,” said a top official. Police officers said they are at a final stage of implementing “sensor cameras” that can trigger alarms at the control room if something grossly wrong is detected.