Delhi Police squads detain 1,05,630 people in women-safety drives

Women police officers in plain clothes are boarding buses, visiting crowded public spaces and monitoring poorly lit stretches as part of Delhi Police’s Shishtachar squads. Police said the squads detained 1,05,630 people from March 2025 to 2026.

The 30 squads conducted 15,077 drives against street harassment, molestation and other offences against women in public places. Police said they carried out 10,449 drives in 2025, detaining 65,615 people, and 4,628 drives in 2026, resulting in 40,015 detentions.

Each squad has 11 core members: an inspector, a sub-inspector, four women officers and five male officers. Special Staff or Anti-Auto Theft Squad personnel may provide technical support. Teams focus on schools, colleges, malls, buses, isolated areas and other locations identified through tip-offs, ground intelligence, direct observation and complaint patterns.

Police said plain-clothes women officers identify people alleged to be following women, making inappropriate remarks or engaging in other inappropriate behaviour. In less serious cases, police bring those detained to the local police station, make an entry in the daily or general diary, counsel them in the presence of family members and release them with a warning. Police said serious allegations of sexual harassment or molestation can lead to an FIR and investigation.