Chittagong police call on citizens to provide leads on teen gangs, patrons

In the wake of a spate of juvenile crimes in the port city, the Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) has urged the city dwellers to provide information about teen gangs and their patrons.

As part of the move, 145 beat cops under 16 police stations of the city will remain on duty from 4pm till 6pm on Saturday to collect the information from the public.

The newly-appointed CMP Commissioner Saleh Md Tanvir urged all citizens to help police provide correct information about the teen gangs and their patrons.

On a Facebook page “Hello Police Commissioner Chattogram Metropolitan Police-CMP”, the CMP Commissioner made the announcement Thursday.

The CMP Commissioner has urged citizens to assist the police in bringing back the delinquents to the right path.

Previously on September 7, Saleh Md Tanvir joined as the 30th Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police.

Soon after his joining, the CMP Commissioner issued a warning to the teen gangs and their patrons in the city.

He said that the patrons of teen gangs would not be spared.

Prof Dr Anupam Sen, renowned sociologist and vice-chancellor of Premier University, told the Dhaka Tribune that the influential persons who pull strings behind the scenes should be brought to book to curb juvenile delinquency.

“Usually the culture of impunity emboldens the criminals. So, the law enforcing agencies should nab the ‘Boro Bhais’ (Big Brothers) who are roping in the imprudent teenagers in the criminal acts,” said Dr Sen, adding that we must hold fast to our traditional family values to combat juvenile delinquency.

Afzal Hossain, associate professor of the psychology department at Chittagong University, said: “Sometimes these teenagers use firearms for committing crimes. Now the question is how a teenager can manage firearms. The young persons are usually unaware of the consequences of a criminal act. The delinquent acts are often committed under the direct and indirect patronization of influential persons,” said the psychologist.

By definition, juvenile delinquents are minors, usually defined as being between the ages of 10 and 18, who have committed some acts that violate the law. These acts are not called “crimes” as they are used for the adults. Rather, the crimes committed by minors are called “delinquent acts.”

According to the sociologists and the psychologists, lack of parental guidance, fragile family bonds, moral degradation, a false sense of heroism, the culture of impunity, peer pressure, substance abuse and disadvantaged socioeconomic status all contribute to growing incidents of juvenile delinquency.