(Dawn April 14th 2011)
THIS is apropos of Abdul Khalique Shaikh’s article ‘Children on the street’ (March 26). The writer has tried to explain and give many facts and figures regarding the street children who usually indulge in criminal activities since they do not get proper education and family protection.

The writer has also explained the police approach towards such children and it seems that he is not much disappointed by police treatment of street children. The writer, being himself a police officer, has apparently failed to explain the urgent need of proper socialisation of our police personnel, especially when they are under training. There is no denying the fact that during training neither police personnel are taught behavioural sciences nor are they trained in being polite and gentle to the public.

This leaves a permanent impact on our police force and harsh practical conditions that follow their training add to their being rude and impolite, leaving little hope for juvenile offenders to see a special treatment or legible attitude.

Police treatment of the public, in general, and street children, in particular, is in no way worthy of admiration. There is a huge difference between a juvenile delinquent and a notorious criminal. But it does not make any difference for our police
personnel who treat both the categories equally while violating the laws on rights of child protection and juvenile offenders.

Ironically, we have been hearing of cases of rape with minor delinquents where a police constable or two are involved.

An immature teenager who does not know much about the consequences of the wrong he does should be treated by a psychologist, and not by a baton-wielding and gun-totting insensitive police constable.

Only a psychologist could establish the reasons behind the commission of crime by a juvenile.

There is also a dire need to amend the laws on juvenile delinquents. Street children, finding no shelter and proper food, are more likely to associate themselves with criminal gangs. Besides, our police personnel will keep on making a child on the street a ‘mature’ criminal by using same traditional methods of torture on him and keeping him with suspects and hardened criminals in lock-ups.

There is an urgent need to introduce subjects of ethics and child psychology in our police academic courses which should be taught on a priority basis to ensure that our police personnel show compassion towards child offenders and can also distinguish between a respectable citizen and a criminal.

SAHITO ZAHEER
Sukkur