Special police units for juveniles in Bihar

PATNA - Special police units were Saturday constituted in all 37 districts of Bihar to exclusively deal and work with juveniles, an official said.

“The state government has constituted special juvenile police units in the state - a new beginning for a child-friendly police,” Bihar police chief Neelmani told reporters here at the first state-level sensitisation workshop on the units after they were formally launched.

Neelmani said district police officers of different ranks participated in the workshop.

Subsequently, zonal training-cum-sensitisation workshop will be held for the police officers to create awareness for implementing the Juvenile Justice Act within their jurisdictions.

At least one police officer of every police station across the state has been designated as the ‘Juvenile or Child Welfare Officer’, Neelmani said.

The police chief of each district will head the special unit and oversee its functioning.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Bihar Police has been designated as the nodal agency for overseeing the functioning of the special juvenile police units.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the department of social welfare of the Bihar government are part of the unique venture in creating structures for the safety, security and protection of children.

“The special units are a progressive introduction to the Act and it seeks to make incremental and positive changes to the very nature of police-child interactions which should be based on the principle of the best interests of the child,” Neelmani said.