Kolkata: West Bengal police is in the process of assessing police stations across the state to make them child-friendly.
The plan is meant to help minors to file their complaints in a friendlier atmosphere.
“Over years the number of incidents of crime against children is on a rise. Whether it is sexual abuse or parental abuse, minors often do not lodge complain due to fear of going to the police station as to them it is an intimidating place.
“We are identifying police station across the state and will train the officers to help deal with minors both as offenders and victims,” said a senior police official.
Sources said the plan was being prepared following Unicef guidelines and the government wants to develop at least one police station in each of the eight divisions of Kolkata Police and each subdivision of the district police.
“Kolkata police had developed a model child-friendly police station on it own at Tollygunge and the results are positive. Hence we are pushing for more such police-stations across the state,” said Rajeev Mishra, Joint-Commissioner of police.
Under this, the officer-in-charge will have to undergo special training and various agencies like department of women and child welfare and board of juvenile crime has to brought under one roof.
“It is the training of officials that is critical in making a police station child-friendly. The place should not intimidate a child and he should be able to speak freely and truthfully about his circumstances and the problems he is undergoing,” said another official.
The rise in child-trafficking is also a major concern for the state and recent intelligence reports suggest that millions of children are at risk of being trafficked specially after the Nepal earthquake where thousands have become orphans.
“With major international borders, the state could easily become a transit point for such offenders. We are working with the various intelligence agencies to nab the culprits, “said an officer of the intelligence unit.
