NEW DELHI: The South Delhi Police has started a special reform programme for the contacting, counselling and providing skill training to budding criminals and those offenders who were involved in criminal activities during their childhood and have now turned to bigger criminal activities.

The aim of this initiative is to ensure that these people refrain from indulging in any criminal activities and to enable them to live a dignified life, said DCP South Atul Thakur. Skill training and professional courses such as stitching, sewing, mechanic, mobile repairing, computer courses are being provided to the criminals under the special reformation course.

Thakur added that under this programme, the criminals, especially those involved in small crimes during their childhood but had now turned major, were specifically counselled, motivated and guided. They were asked about their interests in learning some skills and help them earn a living. The police has set up a dedicated team to identify the criminals.

The team also interacted with their family, friends and neighbours to learn about their hobbies and interests related to professional skills. “The team made relentless efforts to locate such candidates for reformation. Their parents were also contacted, counselled and continued persuasion made realize that skill training would help them earn a livelihood.

The efforts of the team yielded results and they promised to be on right track,” he said. Initially, most parents were reluctant to send their children to learn professional skills through the police. However, repeated efforts were put in to convince them, and meetings were arranged at the ACP and SHO level.