Malkajgiri police launch ‘Sahachari’ community policing initiative, train 3,000 SHG women

Malkajgiri police on Tuesday launched Sahachari, a community policing initiative aimed at empowering women to become partners in crime prevention and promoting safety in their neighbourhoods.

The programme, organised in coordination with the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) and the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), was held simultaneously in Bowenpally for participants from the Malkajgiri zone and in Nagole for women from the L.B. Nagar and Uppal zones. Nearly 3,000 women from self-help groups from across the Commissionerate limits participated.

The initiative seeks to create a grassroot network of community safety ambassadors by equipping women with awareness of their legal rights, personal safety and the support services offered by the police.

Participants were sensitised to issues relating to women and child protection, cybercrime prevention, anti-drug awareness, emergency response, offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, community policing, Bharosa Centres, SHE Teams and Women Police Stations.

Police officials urged the women to work closely with law enforcement agencies, report crimes without hesitation and spread awareness within their communities. The sessions also covered the functioning of Women Police Stations, Centres for Domestic and Economic Empowerment of Women, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, SHE Teams and Bharosa Centres, along with the counselling, legal aid, rehabilitation and victim support services available through these institutions.

Addressing the participants, Malkajgiri Police Commissioner B. Sumathi said effective policing requires active public participation, and encouraged women to approach the police without fear. She said Sahachari would strengthen police-community relations, improve the reporting of crimes and enhance the safety of women and children.

MEPMA additional mission director N. Yadagiri Rao welcomed the initiative and urged SHG members to discuss safety-related issues during their monthly meetings and spread awareness among women in their communities.

Senior police officers, including Deputy Commissioners of Police from the Malkajgiri, L.B. Nagar, Uppal and Women Safety wings, along with officials from MEPMA and SERP, attended the programme.