CHENNAI: Come summer, it’s time for cops to ‘police’ their own children during the vacation. However, this time they can be relaxed on that count, thanks to the initiative of the department, children of policemen and women in the city are being trained in a host of activities like shooting, martial arts, horse-riding, etc.
The first-of-its-kind initiative also comes with the advantage of a pickup and drop facility, considering the fact that it would not be possible for the busy men in uniform to make arrangements to transport their wards to the various venues.
Children from 9,542 tenements in 52 police quarters in the city, besides those from other State units living in the city are eligible to take part in the training camps, being organised at various venues in the city such as the Rajarathnam Stadium, Nehru Stadium, Nungambakkam tennis court, Marina, Shenoy Nagar and Velachery swimming pools and the Sivandhi Adithanar shooting range. “We have all the logistics and we divert it efficiently to improve the quality of life of our men, which in turn, improves the quality of their work,” said a senior police officer, who was part of a session held two weeks ago to discuss about the camps.
“We have the best of swimmers, shooters, boxers, silambam experts, yoga and horse-riding trainers. We make use of their services to train the children in the activity that suits their age. Besides, we have also tied up with the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) for horse-riding, boxing, karate, cricket, football and tennis,” the official added.
An introductory-level course in playing music instruments and a full fledged driving practice for two and four wheelers are also in the offing.
Around 1,300 children had expressed interest to participate in the summer camps. Swimming is the most sought after, with 400 enrolments, followed by shooting. The training, which began on May 4, is being held in two batches — one in the morning and the other in the evening. “When these children develop their skills as individuals, it will bring happiness to the entire family. The children also get to know the expertise and infra the force has access to, during this training. They also develop a bonding with the force,” Police Commissioner S George told City Express.