A friendly station!

Kochi: The Kerala Police is turning child-friendly in a big way with UNICEF as the pal. After its pilot project for child- friendly police stations in six police stations across the state turned a success, it is being extended to 54 more police stations. The larger aim is to make every police station in the state child-friendly.

Nodal officer of the project IG P. Vijayan is aware that he has a great mission in hand. In the fast changing socio-economic milieu, children have become an insecure group with the crimes against them increasing at an alarming rate. The project intends to ensure the safety and security of children in the family as well as in the social environment. The police has roped in other agencies responsible for child care and development in this mission to create an invisible ring of protection around children.

The police dons the role of a compassionate guardian who ensures time-bound conviction in the crimes against children and one who works for child rights. “Child-friendly police stations are where both parents and children can fearlessly approach to redress grievances connected to children. All policemen in the six police stations have been trained in this respect and the process of training more policemen in more police stations is under way,” said Mr Vijayan.

The six police stations are Thiruvanantha-puram Fort, Kollam East, Thrissur East, Ernakulam Kadavan-thra, Kozhikode Town and Kannur Town.

The infrastructure of child-friendly police stations varies from normal police stations. What is mandatory is a room, preferably air-conditioned, with a bed and cot, drinking water provision, cradle and some toys and cartoons. “Stations which have more space can add more facilities for the relaxation of the children and a few newly-introduced stations are coming up with more play facilities,” said Kiran C. Nair, principal SI, Kadavanthra police station.

“One could witness children, especially those in the neighbourhood and from challenging environments, having fun in these police stations. We are now roping in personnel from the control room and women battalion for the training which is being undertaken in each district. Around 5,000 police personnel are undergoing training,” said Mr Vijayan. Police officers from across the country have evinced interest in the project, including the premier agency for modernisation of police force, the Delhi-based Bureau of Police Research and Development, which is taking the initiative to spread it across the country.

“When a child becomes friendly with police, women too become friendly with it, the family in turn becomes the friend and thus the whole society becomes friends with police. That is what we aim with the concept,” said Mr Vijayan. “When a child recently came to one such police station and complained that his father was being threatened by some elements, a case was registered. In another instance, a child complained that his father badly damaged his leg after falling into a broken drain, and the authorities were directed to rectify the same,” said the nodal officer.

Mr Nair said the exclusive room at the child-friendly police station can house children for a day or two and women police official may accompany them during night stay. “In a recent instance we rehabilitated two children from challenging social environment with the help of Childline,” said Mr Nair.

“We thought of initiating the project after identifying that in PoCSO cases involving minors, the conviction rate is less than 20 percent. Even in family environment, children face hostile situation but do not know where to seek remedy. We believe this initiative will address all those questions,” said Mr Vijayan.

The mandate of child-friendly policemen includes making children aware of their rights by becoming their mentors. “The child-friendly policemen can keep a watch on students who cut classes, who are cut up with others and, of course, those who fall prey to drug pedlars, and bring them back to track. Now the paediatric wing of Indian Medical Association, Kannur, has started a Sunday clinic for children, aligning with the child-friendly police station there to help needy children. We are going to extend it to Kollam also,” said Vijayan and added that the very involvement of UNICEF in the project has inspired the entire police to move ahead in this regard.