Odisha police aims to make campuses 'crime free'

Bhubaneswar: With instances of crime committed by students on rise, Odisha police on Tuesday decided to act tough on such offenders to make educational institutions a 'crime free' zone in the State.

Be it rape, murder, criminal assault, eve-teasing or incidents of drug abuse, students are now found involved in several other crimes which has now emerged as a major concern not only for the law enforcement agencies but also for the society on the whole, informed sources.

Taking stern note of the situation, Odisha DGP RP Sharma directed superintendents of police, DCPs of Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and SP Economic Offences Wing (EOW) to undertake special measures and drives to curb such crimes.

An advisory for authorities of educational institutions, police and parents has been issued by Odisha police to ensure that students do not indulge in violence on and outside campuses.

Senior officials at police stations have been asked to intensify patrolling, deploy adequate staff to put a check on entry of outsiders and anti-socials inside campuses and conduct orientation programme on crime-related issues.

The cops have been asked to sensitize students about legal consequences of taking law into hands and its impact on academic and professional career. Besides, stress will be laid on creating a student-friendly environment so that they can easily report incidents on their respective campuses.

The college authorities on the other hand have been asked to keep senior officials informed about any law and order situations and crimes happening in their respective educational institutions.

The college management should create a database of all students; install adequate CCTV cameras in campus, undertake counselling sessions and hold meetings with parents at regular intervals.