Special Women Police Contingent
Encyclopedia
The Special Women Police Contingent (SWPC) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police
was created in 2008 to specifically track down female criminals increasingly involved in criminal activities such as prostitution
, drug smuggling and human trafficking
. With increasing proportions of female criminals in Bangladesh, the SWPC, composing entirely of female officers, would be used to gather intelligence that men are seen as less capable of gathering.
considered male officers to be less effective than women in gathering information and investigating crimes involving women and had already been using female police officers more in tackling crimes involving female criminals. As an all-women force, the SWPC is the first of its kind in Bangladesh's history.
, drug smuggling, human trafficking
, theft, homicide
and swindling. Female criminals have proliferated in crime as women have traditionally aroused less suspicion in the police and public.
. Bangladesh Police plan to train and hire 3,000 women officers to bolster the SWPC. An Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Dhaka SWPC who leads a detective force of 24 women officers.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police is the division of Bangladesh Police responsible for law enforcement in the metropolis of Dhaka, the national capital and most populous city in Bangladesh. The DMP is the largest police force in Bangladesh...
was created in 2008 to specifically track down female criminals increasingly involved in criminal activities such as prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, drug smuggling and human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
. With increasing proportions of female criminals in Bangladesh, the SWPC, composing entirely of female officers, would be used to gather intelligence that men are seen as less capable of gathering.
Formation
The Special Women Police Contingent (SWPC) was formed in 2008 with the intention of developing a special unit consisting only of women that would investigate crimes involving female criminals. Bangladesh Narcotics Control Department reported that as many as 100,000 people were engaged in drug trafficking, of whom 40 percent were women. Bangladesh PoliceBangladesh Police
The Bangladesh Police is the main law enforcement agency of Bangladesh. It is administered under the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh. It plays a crucial role in maintaining peace and enforcement of law and order within the whole of Bangladesh...
considered male officers to be less effective than women in gathering information and investigating crimes involving women and had already been using female police officers more in tackling crimes involving female criminals. As an all-women force, the SWPC is the first of its kind in Bangladesh's history.
Activities
The SWPC was created to gather intelligence and investigate criminal activities that have increasingly involved female criminals. The SWPC will track down female criminals involved in criminal activities such as prostitutionProstitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, drug smuggling, human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
, theft, homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
and swindling. Female criminals have proliferated in crime as women have traditionally aroused less suspicion in the police and public.
Organisation
Bangladesh Police has organised an SWPC within the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and plans to raise units across the country. Currently, there are roughly 2,000 women officers in Bangladesh Police - less than two percent of the total force and one-third of whom are deployed in the capital DhakaDhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
. Bangladesh Police plan to train and hire 3,000 women officers to bolster the SWPC. An Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Dhaka SWPC who leads a detective force of 24 women officers.