The A’chik Youth Council (AYC) has written to the Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma, seeking an increase in the staff strength of the women’s police stations across Garo Hills.
According to the pressure group, most women’s police stations in Garo Hills are running at minimum strength and this is proving very difficult for the maintenance of daily public order, particularly in matters related to women.
“The maximum number of women police officers is in Shillong. Here in Garo Hills however, the workforce is not as per the population. The role of women police has been steadily increasing but the numbers required for maintaining public order, has still been worked on for Garo Hills,” said AYC general secretary Maxbirth G Momin.
Momin asserted that the arrest of women and their search needs to be done only by women officers as do sexual assault cases.
“Even juvenile delinquents are better handled by women police officers as they are more compassionate and communicative with children. They cannot manage a large population with few employees,” he added.
Momin stated that the government needed to recognize the problem being faced by policewomen who are stretched because of the lack of an adequate force.
“The change in the recruitment policy in the Home Department is the need of the hour and there should be 33 percent reservation for women in the police force. The Garo Hills districts need more women police officers for the smooth functioning of the women police station,” he felt.
