Royal Enfield Joins Hands With Bengaluru Police To Form An All-Women Motorcycle Brigade

15 female sub-inspectors have been trained by Enfield to handle the larger machines without any hassles

Royal Enfields have been part of the Indian police force for a long time, with the preferred choice being Bullets or Classics. However, the last thing you expect is to see female police officers riding these bikes. That is set to change as Royal Enfield has joined hands with the Bengaluru City Police to train 15 women to use the bikes for patrolling without having to worry about their heft.

These women officers will be part of a special fleet, ‘We For Women.’ The Bengaluru police force is in talks to acquire Enfields for the squad, which will be a mix of Classic 350s, Himalayans, and Interceptor 650s. This is probably the first instance when the Interceptor 650 will be inducted into the police fleet.

Here’s the company’s official press statement:

Bengaluru City Police creates the first ever all Women Motorcycle Brigade- ‘We for Women’ in partnership with Royal Enfield

• Bengaluru police in partnership with Royal Enfield trained 15 women police officers passionate about riding motorcycles 
• ‘All Women Riding Brigade’ is dedicated to making Bengaluru city a safer place for women and children, while breaking stereotypes about women riding motorcycles 
• Bhaskar Rao, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru, flagged off the inaugural ride of this women motorcycle brigade, and joined the ride held from Bengaluru to Nandi Hills and back 

January 14, 2020, Bengaluru, India: Bengaluru City Police in partnership with Royal Enfield created an all women motorcycle riding brigade- ‘We for Women’, a team dedicated towards making Bengaluru a safer city for women and children. 15 dedicated Police Sub- Inspectors with a passion for riding were trained to enhance their riding skills, under various conditions, to tackle any challenge they might face while on duty. 

The women riding brigade would take on patrolling duties in order to make Bengaluru safer for women. While the creation of this team helped bring forth the smart lady officers who are dedicated towards making Bengaluru safe, Bengaluru City Police along with Team Royal Enfield also endeavors to break the gender stereotypes in the society around areas which has been considered to be male dominant. Leading this special project, Divya Sara Thomas, IPS, DCP, City Armed Reserve Headquarters, Bengaluru, said “With more women being inducted into the force, there is a need to empower them further. Under the ‘We for Women’ initiative, we have trained 15 lady sub inspectors as of now and will continue to grow this team of motorcyclists. We want these women to lead by example and inspire other women as well while keeping the city safe.” 

These 15 women officers were trained in two phases. During phase I, which was held in October, they were introduced to Royal Enfield motorcycles like Himalayan, Interceptor 650 and Classic Signals 350 and in the Phase II, which was held in December and January, they were exposed to riding these motorcycles in Bengaluru city traffic conditions. The training was conducted in collaboration with Team Royal Enfield who aimed at equipping the women officers with the professional riding skills which would help them to confidently patrol the streets of Bengaluru. 

To commemorate the newly formed brigade, a ride was conducted to Nandi hills. The ride was flagged off by Shri Bhaskar Rao, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru city, at the office of City Armed Reserve Headquarters, Bengaluru. Other Joint Commissioners Shri Sandeep Patil (Crime Branch) and Dr. B R Ravikanthe Gowda (Traffic) along with Dr. Sharanappa SD, IPS, DCP East Division, Dr. Bheemashankar S Guled, IPS, DCP North East, Shri S Sidaraju, KSPS, DCP City Armed Reserve, West and Shri M Abraham George, KSPS and DCP City Armed Reserve, North, also joined in to show their solidarity towards this initiative. 

Royal Enfield is one of the oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production and by conducting this training they have given the women officers of the Bengaluru Police the confidence to ride to their destinations with pride.