Bhubaneswar: More than 15,000 adolescents from across Odisha participated in “Juventica”, a statewide awareness and outreach programme organised jointly by Odisha Police and UNICEF to strengthen engagement between police and young people.
The programme, titled “Juventica – Police Awareness and Outreach Programme with Adolescents”, was organised at Police Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar by the Women and Child Crime Prevention Wing of Odisha Police in collaboration with UNICEF.
Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania inaugurated the programme and said the initiative aims to make the policing system more accessible, safe and adolescent-friendly for children and teenagers in the state.
According to Odisha Police, more than 15,000 adolescents from nearly 555 police stations across the state took part in the initiative. Members of Advika Clubs, Anganwadi workers and para-legal volunteers also participated in the programme.
Addressing the gathering, the DGP expressed concern over the growing exposure of adolescents to negative content on social media and advised them to use digital platforms for educational and constructive purposes.
Khurania also noted that many adolescents are increasingly becoming victims of cybercrime and other social challenges, often leading to mental stress and emotional difficulties. Parents, teachers, police personnel and society at large have a responsibility to listen to young people carefully, guide them properly and provide emotional and moral support, he added.
Describing the initiative as an important step towards building trust and cooperation between the younger generation and the police administration, the DGP urged adolescents to approach the police without fear and share their concerns whenever needed. He also appealed to police officials across the state to strengthen their engagement with adolescents and remain more sensitive towards their safety and wellbeing.
During the event, the DGP also interacted virtually with adolescents from different districts of the state.
Senior police officials present at the programme included Crime Branch DGP Binaytosh Mishra, Additional DGP (Modernisation) Soumendra Priyadarshi, Additional DGP (Railways and Coastal Security) Arun Kumar Bothra and Additional DGP of the Women and Child Crime Prevention Wing S. Saini.
