Schools that fall under the jurisdiction of the Nagpada police will soon have CCTV cameras, will be properly lit, and will have guards during the day and at night. This comes as a result of a security audit done by the police nearly a week after a 5-year-old girl was allegedly raped in a civic school compound.
The audit showed schools lacked security arrangements
The schools lacked CCTV cameras, day and night-time guards on the premises, and adequate lighting at the entrance and in the playgrounds, the audit showed.
“The incident (of the alleged rape of the 5-year-old) was very unfortunate. Immediately after the accused in the case (a 15-year-old) was arrested, we initiated a security audit in schools nearby. Every officer in our police station was tasked to identify isolated places and sensitive zones and come up with suggestions on things that can be done to increase security,” said Nagpada police station senior police inspector Maheshkumar Thakur.
Nagpada lies next to the Kamathipura and Mumbai Central areas and has several schools, both day and night. “There is a night school outside Mumbai Central Railway station. People go through the school, which does not even have proper lighting facility. To mitigate this problem, we first spoke to people from all these schools, including principals and owners, and listened to their grievances,” Mr Thakur said.
22 schools agree to Police's suggestions
A total of 22 schools, including night schools, private schools, civic schools, and government unaided schools, all of which students in classes I to X, agreed to the suggestions made by the police.
Police officials asked school authorities to fix CCTV cameras on the premises, ensure that the compound is well lit, and employ day and night guards. “We will increase the frequency of patrolling in all sensitive zones. A QR code has been put on the school area, so that we can be alerted in case of emergency, along with police station contact numbers,” Mr Thakur said.
Parents of school children will be given identity cards by the schools. Those who do not have these identity cards won’t be allowed in as, often, people tend to venture in and out of schools pretending to be parents of those enrolled in the institutions. School bus drivers or van drivers will also be asked to submit their personal details to the school administration.
A minor girl was raped last week in the area
In the incident that occurred last weekend, the 5-year-old girl who was playing around in the vicinity was taken to a secluded area inside a civic-school compound and raped by the 15-year-old boy. Investigation by the police revealed that the school compound was not properly lit and there was no guard. The school also did not have a CCTV camera. However, police nabbed the accused within seven hours with the help of residents of the area.
The officers of Nagpada police station crowdfunded money after the incident to help the victim’s family and also help the victim with her education. A total of Rs60,000 has been collected as of now, while more is expected to be collected.
