Latur, Jul 30 (PTI) Latur police will launch the second phase of its ‘Police-Student Dialogue’ programme from August 1, targeting direct interaction with more than 2.23 lakh students across the district over the next two months, a senior official said on Thursday.
The initiative will see police officers visit schools, colleges and coaching institutes to educate students on legal rights, cybercrime, road safety, responsible social media use and other issues affecting their daily lives, Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe told PTI.
The programme follows the encouraging response to its first phase, during which police interacted with 1,17,212 students from 362 schools, 100 colleges and 46 coaching institutes, he added.
In the second phase, personnel from 23 police stations across Latur district will conduct awareness sessions covering 558 schools with 1,40,436 students, 91 colleges with 59,675 students, and 48 coaching centres with 23,553 students, taking the total outreach to 2,23,664 students.
The programme will emphasise interactive discussions, question-and-answer sessions and counselling, enabling students to raise concerns, seek clarifications and discuss issues they face in their personal and academic lives, officials said.
Police will conduct sessions on India’s new criminal laws that came into force on July 1, 2024, cybercrime prevention, the Arms Act, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Motor Vehicles Act, emergency response through Dial 112, the role of the Damini Squad in ensuring women’s safety etc.
It will also cover Information Technology Act, safe and responsible use of social media, and awareness under the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan’, officials added.
Special emphasis will be placed on protecting students from online fraud, cyberbullying, fake links, OTP scams, social media misuse and online blackmail, they said.
Students will be educated about the dangers of substance abuse, including tobacco, gutkha, cigarettes, e-cigarettes and narcotic drugs, while encouraging them to adopt a healthy, addiction-free lifestyle under the theme ‘Drug-Free Youth, Secure Future’, the officials said.
According to officials, a key objective of the programme is to remove fear and misconceptions about the police and reinforce the message that the force personnel are approachable friends and partners in ensuring public safety. PTI COR BNM
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