Bengaluru: 24/7 suicide prevention helpline operated by police personnel goes live

The Southeastern Division Police of Bengaluru City in a collaboration with  the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) have operationalised a suicide prevention helpline which would be functional throughout the day. The helpline number for this service is 8277946600. The service has been named “We Care”. Women have been primarily hired to manage the service. 45 women police personnel have received training from NIMHANS in order to take up the responsibility. 6 Neravu Kendras have also been designated across 6 regions across Southeastern Bengaluru wherein the staff would be stationed. The service would be available in three languages namely Kannada, Hindi and English.

 Based on the gravity of the case, the police might pay a visit to the location of the victim as well. “Since the start of this year till October end, 1,967 death by suicide cases have been reported in the city. The southeast division alone has recorded 245 deaths. In this backdrop of the rising cases, to stop these tragedies, we have come up with this initiative to ensure swift and compassionate response to people who are facing stressful situations. The initiative embodies the principle of care, empathy and community collaboration.We are committed to put brakes on these tragedies,” CK Baba, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Southeast Division stated.