Kalimpong police have started distributing portable personal alarms free of cost to women leaving the hill town for studies or work, offering a device intended to attract immediate attention if they feel threatened.
The alarm can be attached to a handbag and activated by pulling out a string. It produces a 130-decibel sound, according to Aparajita Rai, superintendent of police of Kalimpong. The device is designed both to startle a potential stalker or attacker and to alert people nearby who may be able to assist.
“Since its launch about two weeks back, around 140 devices have been collected, mostly by those going away from Kalimpong and to metros for work and studies,” Rai said. The distribution is being conducted through the Kalimpong Women Cell and Jaldhaka police station.
The initiative followed discussions involving women organisers and other stakeholders on practical measures that could improve women’s safety. Police had considered pepper spray, but some participants said it could be cumbersome to use during an emergency. The portable alarm was selected as a simpler device that could remain accessible in a handbag.
Rai said the alarm was not intended to reduce police responsibility but to augment it. Kalimpong police have also been conducting self-defence classes while exploring additional measures for women who may face threatening situations, particularly after moving away from familiar surroundings.
The programme has been introduced even though Kalimpong has a relatively low crime rate. According to the report, parents have expressed concern about their daughters and other young women moving to larger cities for education and employment. The police initiative is therefore aimed not only at incidents within Kalimpong but also at giving women a readily available way to seek attention when travelling or living elsewhere.
Rai also referred to a wider police focus on women’s safety, cyber safety, promotion and monitoring of the 112 national emergency helpline, and anti-drug initiatives under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. The department is helping financially disadvantaged people access treatment for substance dependence through admissions to the Himalayan Anti AIDS and Anti Narcotic Drugs Society in Kalimpong.
Police figures cited in the report show that 215 people have been sent for rehabilitation over the past few years, of whom 164 are now reported to be abstinent. The rehabilitation course generally lasts five months, while the police are also facilitating counselling for people dealing with alcohol dependence.
The portable alarms are currently being distributed through the Kalimpong Women Cell and Jaldhaka police station, with the next phase of the programme focused on making the devices available to women who are leaving the town for work and studies.
