Police rope in 6K students for special force

To be called Student Police Cadets, these students will be trained to work in areas such as road safety, cyber-crime awareness, societal problems, women safety and disaster management. 

The force was launched at the city police commissionerate on Tuesday, with 6,072 students from classes 8 and 9 from 138 schools. Officials said the Police Department has planned to expand it to involve students from private schools as well.

“The force has been created in 138 schools, each with 44 students. The School Education Department has provided two teachers each to lead them, while a sub-inspector level officer from each police station will also guide them. 

Master trainers will train the teachers and the police personnel in various subjects, who in turn will train the cadets. Each school will be provided Rs 50,000 to procure uniforms for the student cadets, including cap, whistle and shoes,” said A Saravanan, Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters) of Greater Chennai Police.

The cadets will help the police control traffic in front of their schools and also act as a medium between students and the police. The students would be taken to visit police stations, and would also attend awareness sessions on Pocso Act, facing exam fear and the like. “At the end of the academic, they will be provided with certificates,” said the Deputy Commissioner.

The idea was introduced first in Kerala four years ago, following which the Centre recommended all States to be replicate it. In Tamil Nadu, Chennai is the first among the police commissionerates to launch the Student Police Cadets force, while Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts will soon introduce the scheme.