Women’s safety needs preventive, sensitive and accountable policing, say experts

Women police personnel are the “last-mile link” between the police force and the public, and their workplace concerns must be addressed to build a more sensitive and effective policing system , former Karnataka Director General of Police Raghavendra H. Auradkar said on Thursday. Delivering the keynote address at the third edition of the National Women’s Conference on Safety and Security 2026 in Bengaluru,…

…stressed that technology must complement, and not replace, a victim-centric approach. During a panel discussion on the gap between reporting and conviction in crimes against women, Public Prosecutor Shailaja Nayak said police file charge sheets in nearly 75–85% of cases, while convictions often fall to 15–20% during trial. She attributed the low conviction rate largely to pressure faced by victims and stressed the need to protect survivors while maintaining a balance with the right to freedom of speech. Ms. Nayak said she had handled…