Pubdate: Mon, 14 May 2007
Source: Star, The (Malaysia)
Copyright: 2007 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd.
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com.my
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/922
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

STUDENT CRIME TREND 'WORRYING'

More and more students are getting  involved in violent
crimes and drug abuse in the state  and the police are getting very
worried.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Hassan  said that
students from secondary schools and  institutes of higher learning had
been caught for a  variety of crimes including rape, robbery, fights
and  house break-ins.

Last year, of the 409 juvenile reports, 62 cases or  15.2% involved
students and many of them involved theft  and property crime, he said
at the launch of the Rakan  Cop and state-level anti-crime campaign
for secondary  students here yesterday.

"I hope that the education department, lecturers,  teachers and
parents will pay attention to this problem  and take steps to monitor
the activities of these  youths," he said.

"If parents suspect their children are involved in  unhealthy
activities like drugs, my advice is that you  take early action by
seeking necessary help from the  relevant authorities instead of
letting the problem  become really serious," he added.

Comm Mokhtar also urged teachers to be proactive by  sending students
they suspect of involvement with drugs  to police stations to undergo
urine tests.

"As long as we fear or do not want to take drastic  action, the drug
problem among students will continue  and, if left unattended, will
spread like cancer," he  added.

On Rakan Cop, he said a total of 3,486 people in Sabah  had registered
during the state-wide crime prevention  campaign launched a year ago
at more than 20 police  district headquarters.
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MAP posted-by: Derek