Alarming increase in number of students held for criminal activities

 

Perak police chief Yusri Hassan Basri hoped to expand crime-prevention programmes in schools with the help of parent-teacher associations. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Perak police are alarmed over the increasing number of students involved in crime.

Perak police chief Yusri Hassan Basri said he intends to extend crime awareness programmes in schools to create greater awareness among students.

Bernama quoted him as saying that police had detained 183 students for various criminal offences in the first 10 months of this year.

Yusri said the figures showed “an alarming increase” compared with the same period last year when only 65 students were detained for various offences in the state.

He said most of the students were detained for involvement in violence (115 cases), followed by property crimes (67) and non-index crime (66).

Yusri was speaking after attending a crime prevention talk at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sungai Pari in Ipoh today. A programme on a career in the police force was also part of the event.

On addiction, Yusri said eight students were arrested for drug offences from January to October compared with 11 for the same period last year.

Yusri hoped the crime prevention programme at the school would serve as a good platform to enlighten students to avoid involvement in crime.

He hoped to get the cooperation of the state education department and parent-teacher associations to expand the programme. - FMT