Kol to have 20 booths, run by female cops, for women to lodge complaints
Times of India | 2 December 2025
Kolkata: The city police will open 20 special booths, run mostly by lady officers, for women to seek help or lodge complaints.
The "Pink Security Booths" will remain open 24X7, and while at least two of them are likely to be unveiled by Christmas, the rest are set to be functional early next year, officers said.
According to the plan discussed at Lalbazar on Friday, two such booths will be set up in each of the 10 police divisions in the city — North, Central, South, Southeast, Southwest, South Suburban, East, East Suburban, Port and Bhangar.
The kiosks — which will be in addition to the female-only forces such as Winners and Shakti, which are stationed across the city — will be located at spots frequented by women and set up in such a manner that they can easily be noticed. "The initiative is part of a broader effort by Kolkata Police to create a safer environment for women, particularly at night," said a joint commissioner of police, Lalbazar.
A senior officer involved in the project said, "In these booths, our lady officers will help women in distress, arrange a safe place for them to stay if required and coordinate with the police station concerned or the control room to ensure prompt action."
Each booth will be staffed by an assistant sub-inspector, who will be helped by a team of three to five woman cops. "Efforts would be made to appoint a woman ASI as the leader of each team," the officer said.
"Such an initiative will make female cops more visible on the ground. I hope the project is implemented in earnest as the booths will help working women returning home at night in multiple ways," said Dipanwita Sen, a travel company executive and a resident of Behala.
In yet another attempt to help women, Kolkata Police will appoint a lady nodal officer at every police station by Christmas.
While the move was planned in 2017, it could not be implemented because of certain issues. "The nodal officers will be appointed by Christmas. They will handle cases related to crime against women," an officer said.
"The presence of female nodal officers will make it easier for women to report crime and seek help. Women may feel more comfortable discussing sensitive issues with them," said an officer. "The nodal officer will act as a bridge between the investigating officer and the complainant," the officer explained.