New plan to tackle youth violence

PHUKET: New tactics are to be tried in an effort to control youth gang violence after police concluded that checkpoints are not the answer. “We have discussed this matter with the Phuket provincial government and have agreed to coordinate with local community leaders to obtain cooperation from parents,” said Provincial Police Commander, Maj Gen Veerayuth Sittimalic. “Other measures will be to identify where the motorbike gangs gather and to enforce the law that stipulates that parents will be punished if their children are troublemakers.” He said Friday and Saturday nights were the worst for trouble, but Saphan Hin was no longer the only place where the gangs hang out. “There are about 30 teenagers, aged from 16 to 22, and divided into two gangs,” he said. “Whenever one group is out riding and encounters members of the other group, there is fighting.”