Alongside this, the police have deployed ‘SHINING’ all-women mobile patrol teams, patrolling major city roads, including E.M. Bypass, from 8 pm to 2 am to ensure night-time security for working women.
The initiatives come as Kolkata continues to hold its position as India’s safest city, according to the 2023 National Crime Records Bureau report. The city recorded just 83.9 cognisable offences per lakh people, the lowest among India’s 19 largest cities, marking the fourth consecutive year of this distinction. Crimes against women have also declined, with 1,746 cases reported in 2023, making Kolkata’s crime rate against women the third lowest nationally.
Senior police officials attribute this sustained safety record to a smart combination of technology, manpower augmentation, night patrolling, and community cooperation. Additional CP (II) Subhankar Sinha Roy said, “Focused attention on infrastructure, upgrading technology, and the will of the residents to follow the law have greatly helped in crime prevention and detection,” told TOI.
Industry and Women & Child Development Minister Shashi Panja added, “The NCRB data vindicates our claim that Kolkata is a safe city. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly emphasized zero tolerance towards crime.”
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