The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Tuesday discussed its set of Draft Guidelines for establishment of child-friendly Police Stations in a meeting with Senior Government officials in New Delhi.

Emphasising the role of NCPCR in the mandate of Juvenile Justice Act and POCSO Act, NCPCR member, Yashwant Jain, shared his experiences of child-friendly police stations.

Highlighting the work done by the police stations in Chhattisgarh to make their premises child-friendly, NCPCR member, Rupa Kapoor, said that the police is often the first point of contact between a child and the official child protection system, and thus need to adopt a child-friendly approach.

She also mentioned that despite practical issues in the availability of space and other infrastructural facilities, child-friendly Police Station Model should be replicated on a wider scale.

UNICEF Child Protection specialist, Tannishtha Datta, said that for a child-friendly Police Station, besides infrastructure and following the procedure of law while dealing with such children, attitude change of police personnel is of paramount importance.

The gathering giving inputs on the guidelines, suggested changes like elaboration on Stakeholder Responsibility, inclusion of a Mission Statement while sharing best practices from their states.

NCPCR has directed all states, ministries and CWCs, and Juvenile Justice Boards to submit their recommendations and suggestions in 11 days to finalise the Draft Guidelines.

According to NCPCR, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016 state that a child has to be interviewed only at a Special Juvenile Police Unit or at child-friendly premises or at a child-friendly corner in the police station, which does not feel like a police station or of being under custodial interrogation.

Every Police Station should either have a child-friendly room or corner, where children who are victims and accused in conflict with law can be dealt with in a sympathetic manner.

Many states have already taken up the initiative to create a child-friendly atmosphere in Police Stations, keeping in mind the local culture and ethos.

Officials from Government Ministries, Child Welfare Committees and Juvenile Justice Boards, Director Generals of Police and other Senior Police officials from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Assam, and Tamil Nadu were present in the meeting besides UNICEF representatives.