AKIPRESS.COM - Poverty, drugs, alcohol and peer pressure are the factors behind a sharp rise in the number of youths committing crimes in Kyrgyzstan, concludes a survey co-produced by the Police Matters Programme of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and presented on 13 June 2014.

The survey, compiled in co-operation with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Social Development, noted that crimes by people under 18-years old amounted to 45.5 percent of the total crimes in the country, a rise of 8.2 percent on 2012, and up 21 percent since 2010.

It says that juvenile delinquency inspectors and school teachers need to take greater action to tackle this problem since students were not willing to talk openly about the problems they face at home and outside of school.

“We hope this study will help the Government develop recommendations and take timely steps that will assist in preventing crime among juveniles and will assist in an overall reduction of crime in the country,” said John MacGregor, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

Attending the launch event were representatives of the Bishkek City Mayor’s Office, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, and the State Agency on Local Self-governance and Interethnic Relations under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Jyldyz Polotova, the Vice-Minister of Social Development of the Kyrgyz Republic, said: “We consider it is important for the Government to know and identify the reasons of crimes committed by juveniles in order to work out efficient preventive measures.”

The survey was conducted by the OSCE Police Matters Programme as a part of its Community Policing project, which aims at implementing principles of police service in accordance with the human rights standards and in close interaction with police and local communities.