Acting on the instructions issued by the Central agencies like IB to the Uttarakhand police to strengthen security in the schools in the State after the December 16 savage militant attack on a army school at Peshawar in Pakistan, State Director-General of Police BS Sidhu held a meeting with the school authorities and directed them to implement the guidelines issued by him.
Some guidelines are as follow: - maintaining registers for the visitors at school gates, building boundary walls, recruitment of security guards with rooms for them, installation of CCTVs and verification of all employees of the schools, among others. Though there is not such high alert especially for schools in Uttarakhand schools should be prepared enough for any eventuality, he added.
Helpline numbers are out for school authorities to seek any help from the police in case an emergency occurs. They are —100, 9411112972, 9411112706, 9411112725, 9411112775 and 9411112478 . Police teams would rush and act swiftly, he assured. A nodal officer will be deputed at district level and he will be in touch with the school authorities for redressal of their grievances. The school authorities should inform the local police station as well as nodal officer if they face any problem pertaining to security of the children, others.
Replying to a question raised by some school authorities that their earlier phone calls on 100 to inform the police of some outsiders creating nuisance in the schools had not been responded , the DGP said that action will be taken against the policemen if they are found indulging in dereliction of duty. Apart from informing the police through 100, they should simultaneously pass the same to the senior police officers so that action could be taken on time to avoid untoward incidents in the schools.
Authorities of some of the schools have asked the DGP as to why only few elite schools, including The Doon School, are enjoying high security with others being discriminated against. Sidhu said that police patrolling has been intensified in areas where schools are situated and police will be deputed during opening and closing hours outside the schools. ADGP (law and order) Ram Singh Meena said that apart from teaching the students according to the academic curriculum, the students should be made aware of the safety and security norms from time to time. They should be taught to avoid touching suspicious objects and receiving anything from strangers. They should be taught not to get influenced by strangers.
All the school authorities should appoint security guards and police verification should be conducted in the local police stations. The security guards should jot down the detailed information of every visitors. Security guards working in the schools will be given refresher course training by the police, in the police line from time to time to develop their skill in combating emergencies, he added. Visitors should not be allowed to enter the hostel rooms and a seperate room should be kept aside for the visitors to meet the inmates. The school authorities should also ensure that the verification of employees working in canteens is conducted. Mock drill will be conducted in the schools from time to time to check security preparedness, he added.
Dehradun SSP Pushpak Jyoti said that if vehicles, bags and other objects are found on the roads, school authorities should inform police immediately. Students should be escorted by their parents only. Employees of the private vehicles used for escorting school students should be verified. Students should not be allowed to carry toys in the school campus. They should be frisked and their bags must be checked on regular basis. The employees should keep phone number of the police control rooms or local police post/police station.