Get ’em jobs: City police work out a plan to prevent youth delinquency

While boys and girls clubs in the city play a major role in shaping the character of children born in disadvantaged circumstances and pave way for their better future, the ACP system targets school dropouts, graduates without job and women in need of employment opportunities.

“The analysis of three-year crime data and observation during our weekly slum-visit programmes in the last few months helped identify people vulnerable to criminal ways of life. These youngsters were either raised by a single parent or abusive parents, or they could be school dropouts or exposed to alcohol and other addictive substances in young age. We have to take remedial measures in a comprehensive manner and finding employment opportunities is one of them,” said V Balakrishnan, Joint Commissioner (Chennai North).

Apart from the youngsters, data of single mothers has been collated to find employment for them too.

As a next step, city police have tied up with Makkal Auto and its managing director Mansoor Ali Khan held meetings in different parts of north Chennai to identify those willing to work in his firm. Makkal Auto, which is into manufacturing of electric vehicles, has plans to recruit at least 400 persons for its various operations and the first 50 will be selected after an interview. “There is a demand for workers in the booming electric vehicle market. The idea is to give job to those to whom it would make a difference in their lives,” said Mansoor Ali Khan.

Mansoor Ali Khan said he was surprised to see degree and double degree holders at the meetings he held in north Chennai and added they would be suitably employed. “Women can also work in assembly units as electric vehicles are not so complicated as ignition and combustion engine and do not require hard labour. My vision is to have an all-women vehicle manufacturing unit. Also, we get requests for the workforce from our clients and we are planning to meet that too,” he said.

Joint Commissioner Balakrishnan said rehabilitation plans are being run for juveniles and youngsters in conflict with the law, and the initiative is to stop those getting into crime. “That’s why we named it Advance Crime Prevention,” he said.