In a follow up to the efforts made to gender sensitise the police in the city, another 300 police personnel will be covered in the next set of programme.
Chennai:
Officers from all the stations in the city are being trained as part of the programme. Around 200 police personnel have been trained in the previous batches, organised by the Department of Social Welfare in association with the Chennai City Police. Now, in the next batch slated in the coming week, 300 police personnel would be trained in various aspects of the gender sensitisation programme.
Talking to DT Next, an official from Social Welfare department said, “Women often go to the police station looking for some guidance and when the police personnel are equipped with the knowledge of the resources available in the form of helplines or short stay homes or OSCs that can help the women in times of distress, it makes it easier for them to coordinate for immediate remedies or assistance.”
The sessions also orient them about social legislations like POCSO Act and Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, or The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
“In many cases, there are no FIRs filed for child marriages and there is more of kangaroo court proceedings carried out by the officers,” added the official.
Representatives from the International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care (PCVC) would also address the personnel at the event. “The session is aimed to make them understand that they are not alone and that there is a whole support system comprising Social Welfare Department, the various schemes and referral mechanism to make sure that women get the help they require,” Prasanna Gettu of PCVC said.
The Department of Social Welfare and Chennai City Police have taken up the exercise to ensure that officers in the rank of inspectors and sub inspectors are oriented with the social legislations, resources like the One Stop Centres (OSC), short stay homes, and the initiatives by the Social Welfare Department to offer them well-informed guidance and train them in handling victims.
Officers from all the stations in the city are being trained as part of the programme. Around 200 police personnel have been trained in the previous batches, organised by the Department of Social Welfare in association with the Chennai City Police. Now, in the next batch slated in the coming week, 300 police personnel would be trained in various aspects of the gender sensitisation programme.
Talking to DT Next, an official from Social Welfare department said, “Women often go to the police station looking for some guidance and when the police personnel are equipped with the knowledge of the resources available in the form of helplines or short stay homes or OSCs that can help the women in times of distress, it makes it easier for them to coordinate for immediate remedies or assistance.”
The sessions also orient them about social legislations like POCSO Act and Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, or The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
“In many cases, there are no FIRs filed for child marriages and there is more of kangaroo court proceedings carried out by the officers,” added the official.
Representatives from the International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care (PCVC) would also address the personnel at the event. “The session is aimed to make them understand that they are not alone and that there is a whole support system comprising Social Welfare Department, the various schemes and referral mechanism to make sure that women get the help they require,” Prasanna Gettu of PCVC said.