BENGALURU: Three police stations in the city are now a little less scary for children who accompany their parents when they have to deal with cops.
In the past four months, Madiwala, HSR Layout and Koramangala police stations have installed play areas for children thanks to Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East) Isha Pant who initiated the project in her jurisdiction to bridge the gap between children and the police.
Pant aims to have play areas established at all 13 police stations under her jurisdiction.
She told The New Indian Express that when parents go to police stations to file complaints, the children with them look worried. If there is a play area, the children will be entertained until the complaints are lodged.
“There are cases of children going missing. When we find them, we bring them to police stations. They get scared. We can send them to the play area to calm them down,” she added. The move also benefits police personnel who work at those stations.
Women constables who sometimes bring their children to police stations need not worry about their children being kept occupied.
Many residents and business owners have come forward to contribute to the play areas, Pant said. Making children comfortable while they are at a police station is one aspect of what Pant has in mind.
The senior IPS officer is also working towards a larger goal of building a rapport with children.
“The idea is to have child-friendly police stations. Many a time, children are put to sleep with ‘Soja jaldi varna police aakar lejayega’ (Sleep or else the police will take you away). I want to remove this fear in children. And that is why we have come up with play areas. Once they visit play areas, they will develop a rapport with the police."
It seems to be working. Rekha T, a resident of HSR layout, said her four-year-old son often plays at the local police station’s play area.
“He has even made friends with the cops. While we come back from school, he greets them with a handshake,” she said.