eGovWatch: Delhi Police’s women safety app ‘Himmat’ now for iPhone users
Delhi Police’s’Himmat’ mobile app for women’s safety, available only on android smartphones till now, was today launched for iPhone users and can be downloaded from the Apple App store.
However, a similar initiative launched in the form of Himmat WhatsApp and Hike group number 8800001091 where women can send photos of autorickshaws and taxis before boarding them, has been flooded with obscene photographs and videos.
Police has now decided to prosecute people who will send such content on the number.
“We are going to prosecute all those people from whose numbers we have received such videos and photos. However, there is also a very encouraging engagement with citizens on these groups with more than 11,000 messages received on various issues which have been responded too,” said a senior police official.
According to the police, the android version of Himmat app has seen 35,080 downloads since it was launched on January 1 by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The Windows version of the app will also be launched very shortly.
“Till today, we have received more than 2,000 SOS alerts from the public. About 1,500 such calls have been received from Delhi, about 200 from the NCR region and about 600 from other parts of the country, and about 8 from abroad,” he said.
Since it is the first time that such a service is being made available to the public, most of these calls have logically been made to test the app. During this initial use by citizens, PCR vans and local police have intervened on more than 45 occasions when the user at the other end did not respond to the first callback from the Himmat team at the Police Control Room.
Apart from tests, citizens have also started using Himmat App for SOS during domestic violence, stalking calls, persons gone missing, among others.
The Himmat App for Android and Apple phones is one of the 6 avenues available to women in the city to get immediate help when in distress. Police Assistance – 100, Women helpline – 1091, Anti-obscene helpline- 1096, Himmat SOS app, Himmat WhatsApp and Hike groups and CM Helpline-181, he added.
The highest number of calls – 51,732 were received on anti-obscene helpline in 2014, a total of 72,930 calls of
various kinds have been received in the Police Control Room from women through all the above lines.
Of the other distress calls received, the highest number of calls were about domestic violence and eveteasing. These are extremely relevant social indicators, police said.
