No women inspectors to be present in 18 police districts; mass retirement to put women's cell in crisis

THRISSUR: Women police inspectors are retiring en masse in the state. There will be only six women inspectors after May 31 if women SIs are not promoted. Kerala, which claims to be a women-friendly state, does not have a single female DySP. Even if the eligible women CIs are promoted to the post of DySP, they will also retire this month. There are 27 inspectors in 24 police districts. 21 will retire on May 31. Only Kottayam, Kozhikode City, Thrissur City, Thrissur Rural, Palakkad and Kochi City will have women inspectors. Of the 27 inspectors, five were promoted in January and two of them are among those who are retiring.

By December 2024, three more of the six will retire. Most of the women inspectors work in the women's cell. It is alleged that there is a move to eliminate the women's cell itself. DySP, women's cell, had retired last month. SP Sunishkumar will retire this month. There is also a situation where there are not enough women civil police officers in the police stations. There are also many stations that have only one woman CPO. DySP is currently the highest rank of women police. So far four women have become DySP.

91-95 recruits retiring

The first women's police recruitment was done through PSC in 1991. 247 people were appointed. 10 more people were appointed during the period till 95. Only three people from the first list of 1991 will be in service after May 31. Out of the 21 inspectors retiring, 18 belong to the 91-95 period.