Police to launch Mahila Mitra & Cyber Mitra to help women

Visakhapatnam: In a major move to intensify surveillance on perpetrators and bring police closer to public, the police department is all set to launch Mahila Mitra and Cyber Mitra in Visakhapatnam. After its successful launch in Vijayawada, the police department is replicating the initiative here on August 8.

The objective of the initiative taken up as a part of the Community Led Action Programme by Police (CLAPP) is to make women feel comfortable with registering various sorts of complaints without coming to a police station.

While problems pertaining to eve-teasing, stalking, dowry harassment, adultery, etc will be handled by Mahila Mitra wing, Cyber Mitra will address issues related to cyber space. "With growing number of cybercrimes, Cyber Mitra aims at safeguarding women against cybercrimes. Many feel reluctant to visit a police station and lodge a complaint.

To help them, a WhatsApp number: 9121211100 has been facilitated so that they can send the details of their complaints and steps will be taken to resolve them," informs V Gopinath, Inspector of Police, cybercrime police station and nodal officer of Cyber Mitra.

In addition to WhatsApp number, toll-free helplines – 112 and 181 have also been set up to register complaints. Besides, getting their problems addressed maintaining confidentiality, assistance and counselling will also be provided to victims.

Mahila Mitra

Mahila Mitra is a community partnership initiative where volunteers from communities will join the police force as 'mahila mitras', identify women issues in their respective ward or village and inform the same to 'mitra' coordinators.

With the help of the nodal officers in each district across the State, the move aims at ensuring women's safety through an army of women constables. "We are going to identify mahila mitras from the communities to volunteer for the endeavour.

These volunteers will identify and communicate the issues faced by women in their respective localities and inform the same to women police constables identified as 'mitra' coordinators," elaborates Prem Kajal, nodal officer for Mahila Mitra, Visakhapatnam and ACP of Women Police Station. Currently, 30 women police constables have been identified as 'mitra' coordinators.