Kiran Bedi

“My first day in the police was July 16, 1972. I was the only woman in the IPS. I remember getting a lot of questions. Are you sure you want to do this? Have you thought about your family? Why did you choose to be here? There was a lot of amazement and doubt.”

“Crimes happen, but some are preventable.”

“Many years ago, when I was born in the '50s - '50s and '60s didn't belong to girls in India. They belonged to boys. They belonged to boys who would join business and inherit business from parents, and girls would be dolled up to get married.”

“I believe in prayer. I believe in gratitude and serving people.”

“Corrupt bureaucrats and cops ought to dismissed or compulsorily retired from service, as they are a drain on the service. Their performance must be vigorously assessed.”

“Let eternal vigilance be the price of liberty and integrity of the country hereafter.”

“I joined the Indian Police Service as a tough woman, a woman with indefatigable stamina, because I used to run for my tennis titles, etc.”

“I had a clear vision: if I take up an assignment, I'll do full justice to it; otherwise I'll walk away.”

“Without a beat officer system, there can be no crime prevention or supportive investigation. This is the very foundation of sound policing. It is the beat officer who connects with the common man on a daily basis and is the five senses of his area.”