Increase women’s representation in Police force, says Bengaluru Police Commissioner

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh.

Increasing women’s representation in the police force and making gender-sensitive training a continuous process are essential to building a more inclusive and citizen-friendly police system, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said on Tuesday (October 27).

“Accept different freedoms of everyone, and sensitise the staff accordingly. The key solution is to increase the number of women staff,” Mr. Singh said while addressing the inaugural session of a joint roundtable conference on Enhancing Gender Training for Police Institutions in India: Innovations and Lessons Learned.

The conference was organised by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, and the Karnataka State Police at the Traffic Management Centre on Infantry Road. The event brought together police officials and training experts from six states, along with representatives of the Bavarian State Police, to discuss gender-responsive policing and reforms in police training.

Mr. Singh said approximately 20,000 Bengaluru police personnel, from constables to inspectors, had undergone training over the past year, acknowledging NLSIU’s contribution. He stressed the importance of refresher programmes to ensure that gender sensitivity translates into everyday policing practices.

Delivering the keynote address, Karnataka Director General and Inspector General of Police M.A. Saleem emphasised the importance of research, institutional cooperation and continuous training in improving police practices. He highlighted the need to sensitise police personnel to the marginalisation experienced by women and children.