Delhi Police on Monday constituted a special team of female police officers to carry out patrolling in various places of the national capital to increase the safety and security for women.

“As a first step, eight scooties have been assigned to these officers to patrol the north-west part of the national capital,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vijayanta Arya said.

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“The decision was taken to ensure women’s safety in the national capital and to bring down the crime rate against women,” the DCP added.

“Women police officers will carry out patrolling near educational institutions specially early in the morning and in the evening,” Ms Arya said. “With the help of women police officers, the vigilance will be intensified in other areas like metro stations and market places,” she added.

“The patrolling teams will be divided in pairs and they will also keep an eye on any illegal activity in the respective areas. They will also talk to women at bus stops and market places and inquire about their safety concerns in the area”, the DCP said. “We want women to feel absolutely safe,” she added.

Crime against women in the national capital has increased manifold, according to data maintained by the Delhi Police.

From 706 cases of rape in 2012, the number in 2018 stood at 2,135, an increase of 202 per cent. When it comes to molestation, the numbers have increased from 727 in 2012 to 3,314 in 2018, a jump of 355 per cent, according to Delhi police crime records.

Six cases of rape were reported on an average every day in 2018. Also, if two women were molested daily in 2012, seven years down, the number has gone up to nine, the data stated.

“Travelling back home after work is a nightmare. I see no policemen/policewomen deployed, especially in isolated places. Delhi police needs to deploy more women police officers,” said Puja Sharma, a resident of Jangpura Extension.

“After I get down from the Metro at night I keep talking on my phone to either my friends or family members so that they would know if anything untoward happens,” said Anjali Upadhyay,  a research analyst who works in Gurugram and lives in Dwarka.