Over 2,500 teenage “gangsters” were detained from September 2023 to February 2024. Police
During the first six months of the seventh mandate government, from September 2023 to February 2024, the National Police officers have taken action in almost 1,000 instances of anti-social behaviour by juvenile delinquents. Over 2,500 teenage “gangsters” were detained during the same period, according to Touch Sokhak, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior.
“Police officers intervened in 939 cases, detaining 2,533 individuals, including 99 female teenagers. They built 417 court cases and charged 825 people, 13 of them female,” he said, on March 26.
Sokhak noted that in addition to court action, police officers had also employed administrative measures, reprimanding 1,708 teenagers (86 of them female), and making them sign contracts to cease their unruly activities.
“The crackdown on gang activity is a key part of the implementation of the safe village-commune policy. Our enforcement takes two forms: administrative measures concern education and the signing of contracts, whereas legal action means building court cases,” he added.
He explained that interior minister Sar Sokha has identified six primary areas of focus for law enforcement: narcotics, general criminal offences, gang activities, traffic incidents, human trafficking and border issues.
He also noted that Prime Minister Hun Manet has emphasised the principle of “cleaning house”, as part of the implementation of the safe village-commune policy.
Phnom Penh municipal police chief Chuon Narin last week issued orders to the police chiefs of the capital’s 14 districts, urging them to quash anti-social behaviour by teenage gang.
He also reminded parents and guardians to keep a close eye on their children, reiterating that both male and females are vulnerable to falling in with a bad crowd and becoming involved in criminal activities.
He also formed a special intervention team of 60 officers, which is dedicated to cracking down on anti-social behaviour on the capital’s streets after midnight.
“Any district police who fail to prevent gang activity will receive an official warning, especially if we have to dispatch additional forces to resolve the problem,” he said.
He hoped this would not be necessary, saying he would rather not have to send extra officers to crack down on anti-social behaviour.
