In India, countless cases of sexual harassment and rapes emerge every year. An unsafe environment has been created by the ones who are accused of such crimes. And for a woman, stepping out of the house after 10 pm or coming back from work late often gets risky. All that we want is to live freely without any sense of fear. But what if a fierce team of women goes out on the roads to make this country safe? There is going to be a difference.

In Visakhapatnam, an all-women police squad called Shakthi has been formed to reduce female sexual harassment cases as reported by The Hindu. The members of the squad have gone through nine months of induction training along with additional training of three months to put in their best and make the environment safe.

The team has been trained in swimming, driving and is even provided with legal knowledge to solve women and children related issues. They have also been trained in repairing minor car related issues.

Five groups have been created and each has seven members in it. They are given five cars and twenty two-wheelers with manpack, GPS, VHF radio sets and pepper spray.

In a conversation with The Hindu The Nodal Officer of Shakthi, ACP Srinivas said: “The motto of the police should not be to register crime but to stop criminal activities. Hence routine awareness programmes are a major part of the team’s responsibilities. Apart from educational institutes, the teams also counsel people in public spaces like bus stops, parks and beach areas.”

If an all-women police squad like the Shakthi team is formed in every city, the crime rate against women and children in India will certainly get curbed down. Our country will become completely safe for us the day we won’t feel the need of carrying pepper spray at night.

Image Courtesy: Vizag City Police's Facebook Page