CHANDIGARH: The crime wing of the Punjab Police has sent a proposal to the state Home department to make all police stations in the state child-friendly institutions.
The proposal recommends setting up of a child-friendly room with special furniture for children, toys, games and decorated with posters and equipped with CCTV cameras at all the police stations. The initiative is aimed at providing children with a congenial atmosphere while also helping them open up to the police.
The draft guidelines for establishment of child friendly police station include provision for audio and video recording of the statements of children and juveniles who find themselves in conflict with the law. The stations will also have a separate facility for clean drinking water and a separate toilet.
Additionally, a police officer (not be below the rank of assistant sub-inspector) designated as child welfare police officer (CWPO) will be deployed at every police station.
“Most often the police is first point of contact for children when in difficult circumstances. Keeping in view the significant role of police, the guidelines for establishment of child friendly police stations is an attempt to establish a pool of child friendly police personnel and better compliance with various legal provisions relating to child rights and child protection. This will also help in creating child friendly spaces where children will feel more at ease to express their problems more openly to the concerned police officials as they have nobody else especially is cases of child sexual abuse by the person the child trusts the most,’’ states the draft.
The draft further states, “The child protection system needs to be strengthened so that children can reach out to us. This first-of-its-kind of an initiative will equip the police personnel with appropriate knowledge to effectively exercise their duty, ensure better protection of child rights and prevent the abuse of minors.’’
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had recently asked the state governments to form similar guidelines for child-friendly police stations.