Kolkata, Dec. 1 -- In a major step to strengthen women's security after dark, the Kolkata Police has announced the launch of a city-wide network of "Pink Booths," to be staffed entirely by female officers.
Under the plan, each of the police force's ten divisions will host two such booths - bringing the total to twenty - located at key intersections across the city.
The booths, active throughout the night, will be led by a woman in charge, supported by a team of three to five women personnel. They will provide immediate assistance to women who feel threatened or unsafe: offering temporary shelter, lodging complaints, or arranging safe transport home.
In parallel, the police have also designated "nodal officers" - women sub-inspectors - at every police station to handle offences against women. The scheme, piloted earlier in the South-East division, will now extend across all divisions, enabling victims to approach female officers directly and speak freely without hesitation.
A senior Kolkata Police official said the aim is to ensure that a woman in distress at night has a secure, approachable refuge where help is immediately available. With Pink Booths and female nodal-officers in place, the city hopes to make nighttime mobility safer for women, promoting confidence and peace of mind on Kolkata's streets.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.