For the first time in the Nilgiris, the police have launched Pink Patrol (women-piloted patrol vehicles) to assist women and children in public spaces.The initiative was launched by Inspector General of Police (West Zone) T. Senthilkumar in the presence of Nilgiris district Superintendent of Police N.S. Nisha recently. According to police, the initiative will help “to prevent crimes against women and children in the Nilgiris, while also enabling them to easily report crimes committed against them to the police without hesitation in public places.”The Pink Patrol unit with women police personnel will patrol spaces where women are more likely to congregate in larger numbers, including markets, bus stands, outside schools, colleges and tourist spots, said Mr. Senthilkumar at the event. The patrols will be carried out between 8 a.m and 11 a.m and from 3 p.m to 7 p.mAdditionally, for women’s safety, initiatives such as Police Akka and the Kavalan mobile application have been introduced, which help reduce crimes against women. Complaint boxes have also been installed in workplaces where women are employed. Through such preventive measures, crimes against women and children are being curbed, the Nilgiris district police stated in a press release.The police personnel who are part of the pink patrols will wearing bright pink jackets and will be riding patrol vehicles, while they will also be provided with loudspeakers to create awareness.“They will also patrol around schools and colleges during opening and closing hours to safeguard girl students from harassment (eve-teasing) and help them act with confidence. This Pink Patrol initiative will thus be highly beneficial,” said Mr. Senthilkumar.A total of 10 pink patrol vehicles will patrol Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, Kotagiri and Gudalur, the officials said.Various schemes are being implemented by the Tamil Nadu Police to prevent crimes against women. Similarly, several initiatives are also being carried out to prevent crimes against children. Continuous awareness campaigns are being conducted in schools and colleges to educate girl students about POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, the police added.Published - October 06, 2025 06:55 pm IST