Selangor records a 10% hike in teenage crime, a concerning trend that’s mirrored elsewhere in Malaysia.
Children as young as 12 years old were getting involved in crimes although Selangor recorded an overall 7% drop in crimes thus far in 2014, said state police chief Senior Deputy Comm Datuk Shukri Dahlan.
He said 165 teenagers, from 12 to 17 years old, had been arrested between January and March, which sums up to about a 10% increase from the same period in 2013.
Of those arrested, 86 were for violent crimes including snatch thefts, blackmail, being part of gangs and drug distribution syndicates.
SDCP Shukri said the other 79 were arrested for minor offences, mostly motorcycle thefts, which accounted for 40% of the crimes.
“A big majority, maybe 70%, of the motorcycle thefts in the last three months, has been linked to juveniles. On top of other serious offences committed by some youths, this is a cause for concern.
“In this day and age where the young are easily influenced by social ills, parents and teachers play a crucial role in curbing youth involvement in crime in schools and at home,” he mentioned.
According to the National Anti-Drugs Agency, in 2013, 214 teens aged between 13 and 18 were caught abusing drugs.
Bukit Aman Crime Prevention and Eradication Department director Datuk Wira Ayub Yaakob mentioned that 2013 saw a 47% increase in violent crime nationwide among minors aged between 12 and 17. There were also some involved in murder and rape cases.
He said cases of violent crimes jumped from 368 in 2012 to 542 last year among schooling children.
Cases involving non-schooling children saw a 137% increase with 2,011 cases reported in 2013, compared to 849 in 2012.
“Most minors get into crime because of peer influence and elements of gangsterism that are penetrating schools,” Ayub said.
“The police have been in talks with the Education Ministry and schools to curb this problem. We are stationing liaison officers in schools to identify the problematic students.
“We are also educating students through workshops and summer camps as well as starting cadet police units and crime prevention clubs in schools.”
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