The city police on Thursday launched - Street Libraries - an initiative to divert the minds of children from possible involvement in criminal activities during free time and take to reading. ?

Initially, 30 streets are selected to set up the libraries with the assistance of GRG Trust and another 20 will be started soon, City Police Commissioner V Balakrishnan told reporters here.

The majority of the places are in slums and the nearby police stations will monitor the libraries, he said.

Since interesting books are not affordable and accessible to children of such areas, these libraries will help them to involve in reading after school hours without indulging in criminal activities, Balakrishnan said.?