Cops wield camera to save women

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  The City Police officers have just turned film-makers. They have substituted the lathi for the camera in their hands in a bid to spread awareness on the dangers that await women from perpetrators lurking in the society. The City Police are bringing out a collection of 36 short films as part of an awareness campaign under their latest venture called ‘Sthree-Pol’, which is, in turn, a part of the revamped Janamaithri police system.  The City Police are bringing out a collection of 36 shorts, all shot by different police officers themselves. Each short film is of a duration of one minute and deals with a different kind of deception technique employed by swindlers and chain-snatchers on women. The Department aims to screen the films in schools, colleges, residential associations and government offices.  City Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham told City Express that the police have come up with the idea as the rate of crime against women, especially cases of chain-snatching, is increasing in the city. Sthree-Pol is intended to make the women aware of the dangers that they are susceptible to and also to enable them to face such dangers.  The number 36 holds significance, continues the Commissioner. ‘’The police, from years of experience, have found that a woman can be duped in 36 ways. Of course, there are more ways of deceptions, but the 36 techniques listed by the police seem to be the favourite of the wrongdoers down here, going by the case records,’’ he says.  Persons might pose as sales executives to intrude into a woman’s house, spread currency notes on ground to diverge attention and approach in the guise of enquiring about an address before they attack, the Commissioner listed out a few examples.  Manoj Abraham also said that the police would seek the help of women empowerment organisations such as Kudumbashree and other non-governmental organisations to take the collection of films to wider sections of viewers in the society.   The police will also be giving hands-on training on self-defence techniques to women under Sthree-Pol. For a start, the training is restricted to students and government employees. Skilled officers will visit educational institutions and government offices to provide training to the girls and women.