BHUBANESWAR: The dependence of students on internet for projects or for entertainment has witnessed a significant rise in the last few years but to keep them safe from the dark side of various online platforms, the city police on Wednesday asked the schools to set up cyber security clubs.Bhubaneswar police have suggested the schools that the cyber security clubs should have one member from their administration and computer department each and three senior students including a girl.
The police are of the opinion that the cyber security clubs will act as a bridge between them and the students. The police have also planned to create WhatsApp groups in which they will be participants along with the members of the cyber security clubs.
In the WhatsApp groups, the police will share ideas with the clubs on organising awareness programmes and quiz competitions related to cyber crimes. “The clubs will help to prevent cyber bullying among school students and also assist in curbing the instances of chats or photos/videos going viral on the media,” said DCP Prateek Singh.
The police will provide posters having awareness messages to the schools which they can display while organising sensitisation programmes on their campuses. Besides informing us about any cyber crime, the members of the clubs can also create awareness among the school staff, students and their family members, police said.
On Wednesday, representatives of about 100 schools attended a sensitisation programme on cyber crimes which was organised at Police Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar. Police Commissioner Saumyendra Kumar Priyadarsi and DCP Singh were present.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there has been a rise in cyber crimes in Odisha. The state police registered 2,037 cyber crime cases in 2021 as compared to 1,931 in 2020 and 1,485 in 2019.