Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay launched an all-women police unit called Singappen in Chennai on June 9, 2024 [1, 2].
The initiative represents a strategic shift in regional policing by deploying a gender-specific force to address the intersection of narcotics trafficking and gender-based violence. By integrating drug eradication with the protection of vulnerable populations, the state aims to create a more robust safety infrastructure for women and children.
The Singappen unit is tasked with preventing crimes against women and children while actively curbing drug abuse [1, 3]. During the inauguration, the Chief Minister said that the eradication of drugs is a prerequisite for the safety of women. "Drugs must be eradicated for robust safety of women," Vijay said [2].
Officials said that the unit will focus on enhancing safety protocols and preventing violence through specialized interventions. According to reports, the force may utilize drone-based patrols to monitor high-risk areas and improve response times [3]. The Chief Minister said that the Singappen unit will enhance women's safety and prevent crimes against women and children [3].
The launch comes amid ongoing efforts to secure urban centers against the rise of synthetic drug use. The government views the all-women force as a way to make victims more comfortable when reporting crimes, and to provide a more empathetic approach to policing in sensitive domestic and child-related cases [2, 3].
This specialized force is designed to operate as a task force capable of rapid deployment across Chennai to disrupt criminal networks that target women and youth [1].
“Drugs must be eradicated for robust safety of women.”
The creation of the Singappen unit signals a policy shift in Tamil Nadu that explicitly links the drug epidemic to the rise in crimes against women and children. By establishing a specialized, all-women force, the administration is attempting to lower the barrier for reporting crimes and increase the visibility of female officers in high-crime areas, potentially altering the social dynamics of law enforcement in Chennai.
