RIOTING YOUTHS (Cause for increase)

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RIOTING YOUTHS:

(Cause for increase): 14.

Mr Ang Mong Seng asked the Minister for Home Affairs what is (i) the main cause for the increasing number of rioting youths, from 250 in 2001, 446 in 2002, 493 in 2003 to 512 in 2004; and (ii) the profile of these youths in terms of per capita family income, family size, educational level and ethnic group.

The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, first, let me give some perspective to the figures Mr Ang cited in his Question. The number of youths arrested for rioting has actually stabilised between 2002 and now. It declined significantly between 1997 and 2001, from 539 arrests to 250 arrests. Between 2001 and 2002, there was a spike upwards, in line with the general crime trend. In 2004, there were 512 arrests. The numbers arrested for the first half of this year, compared to a similar period last year, actually came down from 255 to 212. But, as I have said many times before in my speeches, even one arrest is one too many.

Sir, there is no one root or main cause leading to riotous behaviour amongst

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youths but rather a multiplicity of factors that interplay with one another.

A key cause identified by Police is that more youths are now hanging out in groups. Most of the youths arrested for rioting were congregating in groups of five to 10. They hang out in public housing estates at void decks, lift landings, and also at common public areas, such as the streets and playgrounds, which are locations where the bulk of these rioting cases occurred. In addition, some youths look out for "action" by deliberately targeting other groups or individuals by starting fights on the pretext of previous disputes or staring incidents.

Youths arrested for rioting have been predominantly male. In 2004, the percentage was 84%. The majority are aged 14 to 17 years. Last year, 43% of youths arrested for rioting were students below 16 years with secondary school education. The next largest group of youths arrested for rioting are unemployed youths, accounting for some 17% of arrests last year. Half of the youths arrested for rioting are Chinese, with Malays, Indians and youths of other races accounting for the other half. Seven out of ten youths arrested for rioting are first-time offenders. Police does not have records or data that profile such offenders based on their per capita family income or family size.

To tackle youth rioting, regular Police operations are conducted in the public housing estates, neighbourhood town centres, shopping centres, as well as entertainment outlets where rioting incidents among youths are likely to occur. Youths who are out late at night and gathering in large groups are checked during Police operations. These checks and operations are stepped up during the school holiday period.

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Sir, beyond Police checks and operations, the Inter-Ministry Committee on Youth Crime (IMYC), which I chair, coordinates a series of measures encompassing preventive education, deterrence, enforcement and rehabilitation involving several Ministries and agencies such as MHA, MOE, MCYS and the National Youth Council.

3.00 pm

Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question time.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No. 22(3), Written Answer to Question No. 18 on the Order Paper is reproduced in the Appendix*. Question Nos. 15-17 and 19-26 have been postponed to the next available sitting of Parliament.]

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