Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Police has launched the ‘School CONNECT – School Safety and Student Protection Initiative’ to strengthen child protection, improve campus security and enhance coordination among police personnel, educational institutions and parents.
As part of the initiative, Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Tewari chaired an interactive meeting with principals and representatives of 27 schools at the Police Headquarters in Shimla on Monday. According to a Himachal Pradesh Police spokesperson, the initiative builds on the success of the Police–University CONNECT Programme and extends structured police engagement to schools, with a particular focus on preventive policing and protecting children from emerging safety and security threats.
The meeting discussed several key aspects of school security, including CCTV surveillance at entry and exit points, visitor verification, access control, staff verification and regular security assessments. Special emphasis was laid on preventing kidnapping, sexual abuse, bullying, harassment and exploitation of children. Participants were also sensitised to the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the importance of timely reporting of incidents.
Recognising the growing challenges in the digital environment, the police also highlighted threats such as cyberbullying, online grooming, sextortion and deepfakes. Schools were urged to strengthen awareness among students and take appropriate measures to protect them from online exploitation and other cyber-related risks.
The issue of drug abuse, particularly the spread of chitta and other narcotic substances, also featured prominently in the discussions. The police called for active participation by schools in Anti-Chitta Jan Andolan, stressing the need for collective efforts to protect young people from substance abuse.
Other important issues discussed included school transportation safety, verification of drivers and support staff, disaster preparedness, evacuation drills and awareness about the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112). The need to appoint designated police nodal officers, constitute school safety committees and maintain regular communication between schools and local police stations was also emphasised.
Addressing the participants, DGP Ashok Tewari said child safety was a collective responsibility and called for making CCTV coverage, proper supervision, staff verification and timely information-sharing integral components of school management.
He stressed that the objective of School CONNECT was not merely to respond to incidents after they occurred but to identify potential risks in advance and prevent untoward incidents through awareness, vigilance and coordinated action.
The DGP said that while the Police–University CONNECT Programme focuses on engaging with students in higher educational institutions, School CONNECT extends this outreach to a younger and more vulnerable age group.
