An all-woman team of Calcutta police on Friday night arrested 13 men for harassing and behaving inappropriately with women on the roads across south Calcutta.

A team of officers of the anti-rowdy squad of the detective department assisted the women’s team named “The Winners”.

“A woman best understands the plight of another woman. The Winners usually maintain vigil in areas that have women’s colleges and girls’ schools. With the women force on the vigil, such places have become safer for other women,” said an officer of the detective department.

Officers of the all-woman team have been trained in self-defence to counter any adverse situation and capture mischief-makers on roads.

The team raided areas in Netaji Nagar on Friday night and detained 60 people.

“Thirteen out of the 60 detained were arrested for harassing women. The team also seized 51 motorcycles for rogue and reckless driving,” said an officer.

Several women commuters said they felt less vulnerable if women officers were around.

“It is expected that they will be more sensitive towards women’s issues than men. If someone is harassed in an auto, the victim does not have to explain this to the officer how it feels if the officer is a woman herself,” said a college student who lives in Garia and has to commute in public transport every day.

All members of The Winner have been given a scooter each to make them mobile on the roads.

Senior officers said the all-woman team regularly conducted carries out patrol near schools, colleges, shopping malls and arrested men found harassing women and girls.