The Istanbul Municipality of Bahçelievler (on the European side of the city) is introducing an innovative system through which women living in the area who are worried about going out alone can call municipal police officers to accompany them, Anadolu Agency reported, quoted by BTA.
As part of the initiative, women from Bahçelievler can call a number provided by the municipality at any time of the day and be escorted by a motorized team of the municipal police.
According to the mayor of the municipality, Hakan Bahadur, the new measure is aimed primarily at women and girls who come home from school, university or work after dark and are concerned about crossing the streets safely. “This (the women's escort system) is something that should happen in more and more places. We see similar examples in Europe and America. I get a positive response from the citizens and that's why we will continue to provide this service“, said Bahader, calling on the mayors of other municipalities in the Turkish metropolis to also take similar initiatives.
Nilgün Gül, a policewoman from the municipality participating in the new initiative, says she enjoys helping women who feel threatened. “Late at night, our neighbors who are in secluded or hard-to-reach places contact us. We pick them up from a place they indicate and accompany them on our motorcycles to the place they want to go“, says Gül, emphasizing that the women who use the service welcome the police officers with joy.