3,000 missing kids homebound thanks to police’s new software
NEW DELHI: A trial run of Delhi Police’s new facial recognition system (FRS) in four days has helped officials match records of 3,000 missing children, whose “found” details were on the ministry of women and child development’s (MWCD) portal for missing children.
The identities of the missing children have been established and efforts are on to help them reunite with their families.
The missing complaints of these children were filed at various police stations across the country and their details were uploaded on the MWCD’S portal by the concerned police stations. When these kids were found, t heir details were updated in the “found” section of the portal. However, due to the lack of coordination between the state police forces, children homes and MWCD, the details “missing” and “found” sections were yet to be matched so they were never reunited with their families, said a senior Delhi Police officer working on the new FRS software.
The MWCD, in an affidavit to the high court, said that the Delhi Police, on a trial basis, used the FRS on 45,000 children living in different children’s homes. Of them, 2,930 children could be recognised between April 6 and April 10. The Delhi Police took help of the software after the Delhi High Court asked it to test run the FRS which can help trace and rescue missing children.
“It would not be right to say that 2,930 children have been traced with our FRS software. Actually, the missing and found details of these children were already available on the MWCD’S portal. The software has matched the records of these children through scanning of their photographs available in both missing as well as found sections,” said RP Upadhyay, special CP (crime).
According to Upadhyay, apart from 2,930 children the FRS software helped match the records of 133 missing children from Delhi, who were later found and kept at children homes. “Around 80% of them have been reunited with their families,” he added. NEWDELHI: In a bid to ensure safety and security of children in the city’s child care institutions (CCIS), the Delhi government has issued guidelines that include mandatory installation of CCTV cameras, fire extinguishers, high-mast flood lights and availability of on-call doctors.
According to the order on the guidelines issued by the women and child development (WCD) department, all CCIS must have adequate number of security officers, guards to ensure safety and security of the children.
“Adequate number of CCTV cameras must be installed at prominent places of the child care institutions, specifically at the entry and exit gates, perimeter walls, staircase, playgrounds, dining room, entertainment room and administration block so that the activities of the children are monitored effectively,” reads the order dated April 19.
There are 107 child care institutions in Delhi, which include 14 government-run centres.
The government has ordered the superintendents in-charge must “prominently display” important phone numbers of the nearest police stations, fire stations, CATS control room, 1098 child helpline, doctor-on-call etc.
The WCD department also stressed on the need of having an assembly point in every CCI where all inmates and officers are required to gather in case of any emergency.
“High-mast flood lights must be installed along/near the perimeter/boundary walls. Perimeter/boundary walls must also have barbed wire for the purpose of safety. Adequate number of fire extinguishers must be installed and the officers and staff of child care institutions must be familiarised on how to use fire extinguishers,” the WCD order stated.
THE FRS SOFTWARE HELPED MATCH THE RECORDS OF 133 MISSING CHILDREN FROM DELHI, WHO WERE LATER FOUND AND KEPT AT CHILDREN HOMES