Mumbai Police’s Friendship Day post on Sunday, August 2, 2026, described the department as ‘that one friend who’s just a call away,’ highlighting four key emergency helpline numbers.
The post read, ‘That one friend who’s just a call away. Always there for you. Always ready to help,’ shared in English and Marathi with friendship-themed graphics.
The four helplines highlighted were 112, the all-in-one national emergency response number; 1930, for cybercrime and financial fraud; 103, the women’s safety helpline; and 1915, the senior citizens’ helpline.
Friendship Day, observed on the first Sunday of August, celebrates the bond of friendship, a theme Mumbai Police used to frame its emergency services as a dependable ‘friend’ during a crisis.
The department regularly links civic awareness messaging to festive occasions on social media, an approach that has often struck a chord with users.
The post received a warm response online, with several users appreciating the department’s creative way of sharing essential safety information.
Social media users responded to the post with messages of appreciation, with several praising the department’s creative approach to reminding citizens of essential safety resources on a lighthearted occasion.
Friendship Day traces its origins to a 1958 proposal in Paraguay, and while it is not a public holiday in India, it is widely observed through gift exchanges, gatherings and social media messages among friends.
Mumbai Police’s official social media handles have built a large following over the years, partly due to their consistent use of humour, pop culture references and timely public safety reminders.
Mumbai Police has a long history of using festive occasions and pop-culture references to spread civic awareness messages, a social media approach that has repeatedly gone viral over the years.
The 1930 cybercrime helpline connects callers directly to India’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal network, allowing victims of financial fraud to report incidents and potentially freeze fraudulent transactions quickly.
Photo by Nichalp, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
