Over 700 Pune schools attend awareness programme for ‘Police Kaka’

Brainchild of the Pune police commissioner Rashmi Shukla, ‘Police Kaka’ aims to bridge the gap between students and police.

In the light of the recent incident at the Ryan International School in Gurugram, principals and teachers from over 700 schools were, on Tuesday, instructed about the necessary steps which they have to take to ensure security of students. The Pune police organised the awareness programme regarding the recently launched initiative of 'Police Kaka'.

Pune police commissioner Rashmi Shukla at the awareness programme. (Ravindra Joshi/HT PHOTO)

Brainchild of the Pune police commissioner Rashmi Shukla, ‘Police Kaka’ aims to bridge the gap between students and police. Launched on August 7, the police through ‘Police Kaka’ plans to share their numbers, which will be displayed on school boards so that students and teachers can reach out to them whenever needed.

Besides Shukla, additional commissioner Ravindra Kadam; Sudhir Hiremath, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), economic offence wing and cyber crime; Pankaj Dahane, DCP, crime; Basavraj Teli, DCP, Zone 1; Deepak Sakore, DCP, Zone-4 and senior police inspectors of most police stations were present for the programme.

"CCTV cameras is a must in open spaces as well as closed spaces in schools and colleges and it should be constantly monitored. The footage should be stored for at least 6 months. Police verification of non-teaching as well as teaching staff is necessary. The CCTV footage should be audited from time to time. Teaching staff should undergo psychological tests. The CCTV footage should be shown during parent-teacher meetings. School buses should also have CCTV and GPS," commissioner Shukla said.

Who is ‘Police Kaka’?

◼ ’Police Kaka’ is an initiative by the Pune police to bridge the gap between students and police officials
◼ Every school/college will have a ‘Police Kaka’, an ASI-rank officer who will respond to and resolve issues faced by students
◼ The police official’s contact details will be prominently put up on school campus
◼ Students can directly call ‘Police Kaka’ in case of security-related incidents
◼ The school/college should appoint a nodal officer who will work with the ‘Police Kaka’.

1,180 Schools/colleges in Pune/PCMC

10 lakh+ Students

700 Schools which attended the programme

195 Trained ‘Police Kakas’

What must schools do to ensure security
◼ Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras must in open and closed spaces of school/college
◼ School buses should be equipped with GPS and CCTV
◼ There should be regular monitoring of CCTV footage
◼ The CCTV footage should be stored for at least six months
◼ Police verification of teaching and What must schools do to ensure security non-teaching staff should be conducted
◼ CCTV footage audit should be done in parents’ presence
◼ Psychological tests of teaching staff should be done
◼ There should be restricted access inside school premise for outsiders
◼ No driver with more than three complaints of reckless driving should be hired.

Commissioner Shukla raised the matter reported by someone from a girls’ school in Pashan identified as Saint Joseph, pointing out that the school had an all-male staff with unrestricted access. A parent of a school in Vimannagar complained that a school bus plied on the wrong side of the road without a number plate. “Unauthorised vehicles transporting children to schools need to stop plying on roads. Parents should ensure that grown-up students do not take their own vehicles to school without license, which is issued only after 16 years of age. Reckless drivers with more than three complaints against them should be removed immediately,” commissioner Shukla added.

While speaking at the awareness programme, DCP Hiremath stressed on the misuse of Internet and lucrative entertainment available through it to students.

"India has the third largest number of Internet users. The growth rate of users is 25%. The students are aware about the Internet and data schemes. Cyber crime has increased by 122%," said Sudhir Hiremath, DCP, economic offence wing and cyber crime, while speaking to the teachers and principals of various schools.

Starting mid-October, the police officials will start visiting school campuses and discuss the rising incidents of cyber crime with the students, DCP Hiremath said.

"Police Kaka is the brainchild of commissioner Rashmi Shukla. The programme aims to name one police official as a point contact person at every school and college. As many as 122 schools are already a part of the programme. The programme will try to bridge the gap between students and police. The chosen police officer will be over 40 years of age in order to ensure maturity while dealing with children," said Ganesh Gawade, assistant commissioner of police (ACP), who is spearheading the programme.

There will be a WhatsApp group where an assistant police inspector (API) from each police station and a nodal officer from every school will be present, according to ACP Gawade. DCP Dahane also explained the various laws and their sections under which cases can be registered in incidents involving children either as victims or accused. The students of SP college performed a skit explaining how and when ‘Police Kaka’ could be beckoned.

"The government resolution (GR) to have policemen visit schools and colleges from time to time has already been issued. I have only institutionalised the government order through ‘Police Kaka’ to make it more accessible for the students," commissioner Shukla had said while speaking to Hindustan Times.