Shimla, Nov 2 Himachal Pradesh Police launched ‘School Connect- School Safety and Student Protection Initiative’ to strengthen child protection, campus security and coordination between police, educational institutions and parents, police officials said.
Chairing an interactive meeting with principals and representatives of 27 schools as part of this initiative, DGP Ashok Tewari, on Friday, said that the initiative builds upon the successful Police-University Connect Programme and extends structured police engagement to schools, with a special focus on preventive policing and safeguarding children from emerging safety and security threats.
The meeting deliberated on several important aspects of school safety, including CCTV surveillance at entry and exit points, visitor verification, access control, staff verification and regular security assessments, a statement issued here said.
Emphasis was also laid on preventing kidnapping, sexual abuse, bullying, harassment and exploitation, along with greater awareness about the POCSO Act and timely reporting of incidents.
He said that recognising the growing challenges in the digital environment, schools were sensitised about cyberbullying, online grooming, sextortion, deepfakes and other cyber threats.
He stressed the need to protect students from ‘chitta’ (adulterated heroin) and other drugs and called for active participation in the ‘Anti-Chitta Jan Andolan’.
Other key areas of discussion included school transportation safety, verification of drivers and support staff, disaster preparedness, evacuation drills and awareness about the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112).
The importance of designated police nodal officers, school safety committees and regular interaction between schools and local police was also emphasised.
Tewari underscored that child safety is a collective responsibility and that CCTV coverage, proper supervision, staff verification and timely information-sharing must become an integral part of school management.
He added that the objective of the initiative is not merely to respond to incidents after they occur, but to identify potential risks and prevent untoward incidents through awareness, vigilance and coordinated action.
He said that while the University CONNECT focuses on engagement with students in higher educational institutions, School CONNECT takes this outreach to an earlier and more vulnerable stage of childhood.
(PTI News)
