Thane cops spread safety message among students

Thane

Thane

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More than 20,000 students of 145 schools and colleges in Thane and adjoining areas took part in the awareness drive by the Thane police. The week-long special drive ended on Wednesday.

“Through demonstrations and animated videos, we were told about the difference between a good touch and bad touch. Sometimes, it is difficult to discuss this with parents but the session made us understood why it is important to share such instances with someone trustworthy,” said Mithila Khadtare, 14, student of Kalwa high school.

The initiative was jointly undertaken by Thane police’s Child Rights cell, education department and UNICEF. Each police station will adopt at least two schools to spread the message. This has helped the department to reach out to many students in less than a week. The police team also spoke to the school employees about how to handle cases when students approach them.

“Our aim is to make them feel comfortable to approach the police and complain,” said Usha Suradkar, police inspector, Thane.

Children were given details about the local police stations and phone numbers so that they can get in touch in case of an emergency.

Special children get a lesson on awareness

On Wednesday, a special session was arranged for students of Divyang Kala Kendra and Abhinay Katta at Bhaskar Colony. They were told about the facilities that they can avail and government benefits. “The police ensured that the children understood the concept, they were involved in activities so that their attention is not distracted,” said Kiran Nakati, founder, Abhinay Katta and Divyang Kala Kendra.