‘Police Bro’ project to deal with drug menace in colleges in Coimbatore
The Hindu
Nearly a year after the launch of ‘Police Akka’ project for the safety of girl students in colleges, the Coimbatore City Police on Friday started ‘Police Bro’ project, an anti-drug initiative engaging male students. City Police Commissioner V. Balakrishnan launched the initiative at Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science. in the city.
Nearly a year after the launch of ‘Police Akka’ project for the safety of girl students in colleges, the Coimbatore City Police on Friday started ‘Police Bro’ project, an anti-drug initiative engaging male students.
City Police Commissioner V. Balakrishnan launched the initiative at Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science. in the city.
Under the initiative, young sub-inspectors (SI) will be appointed to maintain close rapport with male students, prevent drug peddling inside and outside campuses and assist them to stay away from drugs.
Mr. Balakrishnan said one SI would be assigned for each college and his mobile number will be made available to all the students.
“Students may refuse to share information due to trust deficit. The SIs will attend programmes in the given colleges and the gain the trust of students. They should develop intelligence from students,” he said.
According to him, 99 % of students are career-oriented and only a miniscule percent of them get misdirected.
“The aim of the project is not to punish students, but to correct and guide them. Suspending students involved in drug-related activities may not be a right decision, as they may become peddlers. The SIs should be able to give brotherly guidance to them as intended by the name of the project,” said Mr. Balakrishnan.
The event will run daily from 10 a.m. to 8.30 p.m., offering a variety of activities. Visitors can enjoy dance and music performances, hands-on art experiences, film screenings, and exhibitions from 10.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. These will feature folk cuisines, leather puppets, philately, textiles, and handicrafts.