Soon, Delhi may get women police stations in each district

“As per the plan, the dedicated police stations will handle all matters related to women and children,” a senior police officer said. “Each station will be headed by a woman Station House Officer (SHO) and staffed predominantly by women personnel.”

Commissioner Golcha has sought suggestions from all district DCPs on opening these police stations. “The DCPs have been asked to suggest suitable locations for these stations and provide details on the number of staff — men and women — required in their districts,” the officer said.

On September 1, The Indian Express reported that Delhi has only three female SHOs out of 224 police stations across the city.

According to the police data, there are nearly 10,000 women personnel serving across ranks — from constables to commissioners (IPS rank) — making up only 10% of the total force, which numbers around a lakh. In higher ranks, six women are Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCP) as compared to 46 men. While 13 men are Special Commissioners, one woman has been appointed to the post.

An officer outlined the organisational structure of a law and order police station: It consists of three inspectors — two handling investigations and one in charge of law and order. They report to the senior-most inspector, the SHO. In addition to these three inspectors, a police station is staffed with around 120 to 150 personnel, ranging from sub-inspectors to constables.

However, each woman’s police station may have two officers of inspector rank. “Once the responses from the DCPs are received, a proposal will be submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for final approval,” the officer added.

In 2021, the then Police Commissioner, Rakesh Asthana, had launched 15 Cyber Police Stations — one in each district. However, these cyber police stations still lack adequate staff, despite receiving a high volume of complaints.