Chaale Che?': Curious Ahmedabad Residents Press Panic Buttons Just To....

Ahmedabad: The city police installed panic buttons for women across Ahmedabad in March this year. However, these panic buttons have been buzzing with a lot more activity than police officials expected. Since the system was launched, the panic buttons have been pressed 6,124 times, but not a single instance involved a woman in distress.According to a TOI report, senior police officers said they receive 20-30 calls daily. Most of these calls involve issues like petty theft, chain-snatching, drunken brawls, gambling, or even people simply testing the system. One officer said, "People are eager to try it out. They press the button and tell us they were just experimenting," as quoted by TOI.The city installed 205 emergency calling buttons across various locations, such as bus depots, near traffic junctions, and secluded spots as part of the Nirbhaya project, which aims to assist women in physical danger. Of these, 150 buttons allow citizens to send voice messages directly to the police control room, but without video capability. However, only 119 of these buttons are currently operational.Explaining the process, an officer said that when a woman presses the panic button, cameras in the box are activated, and she is instantly connected to the Ahmedabad police control room. The officer added, "From there, a police officer can visually assess her situation to determine if she's distressed. However, the woman will not be able to see the officer she is speaking with. Following the one-way video call, the control room officer promptly alerts the relevant police station, ensuring swift assistance to the woman in need," as quoted by TOI.Even though these systems are meant for critical situations, they have instead attracted pranksters, schoolchildren, and curious individuals. A police control room officer said, "We get calls with people asking, 'chale chhe?' (Does it work?)" as quoted by TOI. Some of the calls received in September included one where a man pressed the panic button to report men gambling.Meanwhile, the police hope that the buttons will raise more awareness and will be used for their original intent, rather than serving as a test tool for the curious or the mischievous, the TOI report added.