SINGAPORE : Singapore's overall crime has dropped by 4.5 per cent to some 16,000 cases in the first half of this year as compared to the same period last year.
But two aspects worry the Singapore Police Force - cases of unlicensed moneylending and youth crime.
When Singapore's police gave an overview of the crime situation in 2009, three areas were of concern to them - petty theft cases; an increase in break-ins at HDB flats, education and care centres; and an increase in female minors being involved in statutory rape cases.
Between January and June this year, these areas have shown significant improvements, said the police.
But the spotlight is now on the number caught for crimes related to illegal money lending.
789 people were arrested for unlicensed money lending and harassment, up from 419 during the same period last year.
The director of the Criminal Investigations Department said efforts by the police against unlicensed money lending and harassment cases have shown some initial positive results.
And the community has a pivotal role to play in tackling these crimes, especially in the heartlands.
Alvin Yeo, GPC Chair for Law and Home Affairs said: "There have been formations of things like Neighbourhood Watch Groups because you can't have the police everywhere, 24 hours a day. So the best people to keep their eyes on these loansharks or the runners are the public themselves.
"The other aspect is public education. The public need to know that if they have financial difficulties, they should approach the right people - the credit counselling service - and not borrow from the loan sharks."
The number of unlicensed moneylending and harassment cases has decreased from 9,424 cases in the first half of 2009, to 8,654 cases in the same period this year.
The second area of concern is youth crime.
Police said there has been a one percentage point increase in the number of youths arrested out of the total number of people arrested.
And they were mainly arrested for theft and related crimes and rioting.
Yeo said: "The danger is to prevent them from getting into gangs or any sort of organised crime... The problem is quite alot of these young criminals come from broken homes. So it's going to be an all out effort. The law enforcement agencies are just one effort."
Educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, the social services sector, parents and youths themselves must all play a role in reducing youth crime.
As such, the police will continue to work with schools and educational institutions to prevent youths from turning to crime.
At the same time, the police also urge parents and family members to play their part to prevent youths from turning to crime by paying more attention to their activities and the company they keep.
They can also remind them about the severity of participating in illegal activities and intervene promptly should they display tell-tale signs of being under the influence of bad company.
Police said they will continue to carry out rigorous enforcement and work hand in hand with the community through public education and community engagement programmes to address crime concerns. - CNA/jm/ls
But two aspects worry the Singapore Police Force - cases of unlicensed moneylending and youth crime.
When Singapore's police gave an overview of the crime situation in 2009, three areas were of concern to them - petty theft cases; an increase in break-ins at HDB flats, education and care centres; and an increase in female minors being involved in statutory rape cases.
Between January and June this year, these areas have shown significant improvements, said the police.
But the spotlight is now on the number caught for crimes related to illegal money lending.
789 people were arrested for unlicensed money lending and harassment, up from 419 during the same period last year.
The director of the Criminal Investigations Department said efforts by the police against unlicensed money lending and harassment cases have shown some initial positive results.
And the community has a pivotal role to play in tackling these crimes, especially in the heartlands.
Alvin Yeo, GPC Chair for Law and Home Affairs said: "There have been formations of things like Neighbourhood Watch Groups because you can't have the police everywhere, 24 hours a day. So the best people to keep their eyes on these loansharks or the runners are the public themselves.
"The other aspect is public education. The public need to know that if they have financial difficulties, they should approach the right people - the credit counselling service - and not borrow from the loan sharks."
The number of unlicensed moneylending and harassment cases has decreased from 9,424 cases in the first half of 2009, to 8,654 cases in the same period this year.
The second area of concern is youth crime.
Police said there has been a one percentage point increase in the number of youths arrested out of the total number of people arrested.
And they were mainly arrested for theft and related crimes and rioting.
Yeo said: "The danger is to prevent them from getting into gangs or any sort of organised crime... The problem is quite alot of these young criminals come from broken homes. So it's going to be an all out effort. The law enforcement agencies are just one effort."
Educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, the social services sector, parents and youths themselves must all play a role in reducing youth crime.
As such, the police will continue to work with schools and educational institutions to prevent youths from turning to crime.
At the same time, the police also urge parents and family members to play their part to prevent youths from turning to crime by paying more attention to their activities and the company they keep.
They can also remind them about the severity of participating in illegal activities and intervene promptly should they display tell-tale signs of being under the influence of bad company.
Police said they will continue to carry out rigorous enforcement and work hand in hand with the community through public education and community engagement programmes to address crime concerns. - CNA/jm/ls
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