Women cops showcase UP model of responsive policing, Mission Shakti

Lucknow: A seven-member delegation of women police officers from Uttar Pradesh showcased the state's flagship Mission Shakti Scheme as a model for proactive and responsive policing for women's safety and empowerment, during the 11th National Conference on Women in Police, held in Chennai on May 14-15.Organised by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) in collaboration with Tamil Nadu Police, the conference served as a national platform for sharing ideas on empowering women in policing.Led by ADG, Women & Child Safety Organisation (WCSO), Padmaja Chauhan, the delegation included Vrinda Shukla (SP WCSO/1090), Anukriti Sharma (ASP, Sambhal) and other officers.Themes of the conference included recruitment and training, gender-sensitive uniforms, career progression, work-life balance, mental health and welfare, and best practices in anti-human trafficking initiatives.SP Vrinda Shukla spoke on ‘Ideas and vision on empowerment of women', putting spotlight on UP's Mission Shakti as a comprehensive model of women-centric policing.She discussed initiatives like women help desks, beat system, time-bound investigation protocols monitored via ITSSO portal, and rise in conviction rates in crimes against women. She attributed this success to institutional reforms and the political will of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.ADG Padmaja Chauhan was also among 14 police personnel honoured nationally for exceptional contributions. She was felicitated for expanding the mandate of women beat constables in Phase V of Mission Shakti. This included targeted drives against acid sale, obscene content, illegal spas, and inspection of women's shelter homes, along with tracking of repeat offenders. Intelligence gathered through these operations led to hundreds of FIRs and preventive actions across the state.Uttar Pradesh also earned distinction at the conference for having the highest number of women police personnel in the country, followed by host state Tamil Nadu. The event was inaugurated by Union minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai and concluded with remarks from Tamil Nadu deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin.