Counselling in police station

KOCHI: It’s a police station with a difference. The Palarivattom police station is not just a place where you can file complaints and call during emergency situations. The counselling centre functioning there has been making a difference in the lives of many for sometime now. “There are people who come for the counselling service. We select cases from among them based on the petitions we get. Beat officers also refer some cases,” says Anil George, sub-inspector, Palarivattom station.The station has a panel of expert counsellors who handle every case that comes to the station. It’s generally people who come to the station with domestic issues who are directed towards the counseling centre. There are couples with adaptive problems, financial issues and domestic violence. “Most are young people who have tied the knot recently. Among the cases that come under domestic violence only a few are genuine. There are many who misuse the rule. Earlier we used to register the case based on the testimony of the women. But now we take them for counselling and register a case only at the last stage. Most of them reach an agreement and leave the station happily,” he says.Next to marital disharmony and domestic violence, there are many adolescent cases that come to the station. “There are cases ranging from children leaving home to love failure. Then there are cases of mobile and internet misuse. Girls go missing and later we find that they have gone with men they have acquainted with over the mobile phone,” he says. And it’s not just the teenagers, but the entire family that requires proper counseling.“The absence of good parenting is the main reason for the waywardness of the children. So we talk to the parents first as it’s important that they too go through the counseling sessions,” he says. Anil says the response so far from the public has been good and the centre is definitely making a change. “We operate the counselling centre along with our normal policing and other routine affairs. So there are practical difficulties involved, but as of now the centre is functioning smoothly,” he adds.