Kolkata: The city cops will depend on its ‘Special 50' squad, comprising members of the Winners unit and newly recruited female personnel from multiple divisions and the detective department, to ensure safety of woman revellers in Park Street. These squad, 25 of whom will be posted in Park Street alone, will be in uniform as well as plainclothes and will act as the first respondents in case a woman lodges a complaint.
"The idea is to make women comfortable. If they can confide in our trained female team, we can tackle the molesters and arrest them. Our team will also be used to detect trouble-mongers and snatchers who might target women in the crowd," said an additional commissioner.
The cops said the safety of women, like all other years, will be top of the agenda this year too, along with anti-street crime measures and traffic management. Kolkata Police have urged revellers to use the ‘Bondhu' app to help women facing harassment on the road or the elderly in need of immediate medical assistance. Besides, the 27 PCR cars and 40 two-wheelers with women personnel will patrol south Kolkata.
According to senior officers, these female cops will be part of the 3,000-strong team that will hit the Park Street-Maidan zone from Dec 19 as and when required. They will be deployed from the morning on Dec 24-25. Cops said they had not yet decided when to shut Park Street. "It will depend entirely on the crowd flow," said a DCP, adding they wish to continue traffic on Christmas Eve till 11.45 pm.
"We have divided Park Street into multiple zones and put a DCP in charge of each zone. There will be several female DCPs too. A total of 60-odd ACPs and inspectors will be on guard to provide security in the Park Street-Victoria zone. A temporary control room is likely to be opened in Park Street.