BENGALURU: The city police will crack down on child trafficking and beggary mafia by stationing Pink Hoysalas in identified areas and rescuing child beggars.
At a seminar organised by the Mahila Dakshata Samiti on child trafficking, various difficulties faced during and after rescue missions and how they can be tackled were discussed.
Additional Commissioner of Police Malini Krishnamurthy said that Pink Hoysalas will be allotted to take care of woman and child beggars and also children found sleeping on footpaths. Answering questions on children often going missing even in the presence of their parents in parks and other public places, she said that the number of CCTV cameras in parks and playgrounds will be increased.
People can call 100 if they see a child begging or selling merchandise in the city and their identity will not be revealed, she said. Principal Secretary to the Directorate of Women and Child Development Uma Mahadevan said the children who were rescued are being sent to rehabilitation centres and counselled. The children are sent to schools and encouraged to pursue higher studies with extra coaching and other facilities so that they can come back and help other rescued children. "We have 160 santwana centers, 56 children homes, 43 girls' hostels and 16 observation homes that are taking care of rescued children," she said.
City Police Commissioner Suneel Kumar said criminals often targeted children as they are vulnerable, and advised parents to take care of their children and not to leave them alone.
Uma Mahadevan said children from the families of the poor are more vulnerable. “There 66,000 anganwadis, where we are planning to educate pregnant women and children about child safety, good touch and bad touch," she said.
