A 13-year-old boy was arrested for public nuisance on 9 Sept during a raid on teenage cyclists in Bukit Panjang.
He was among 27 teenagers checked during the operation, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in a news release on Friday (18 Sept).
Source: Singapore Police Force
That night, SPF had received feedback from members of the public that teenage cyclists were causing a nuisance in the vicinity of 17 Petir Road — the address of Hillion Mall.
A Mid-Autumn Festival night market is currently in operation at the open space outside the mall.
Source: Google Maps
According to investigations, several of the teenage cyclists had also made nuisance calls to the police emergency line.
They also allegedly used abusive words on the police officers who responded to the calls.
The feedback prompted a joint enforcement action by SPF and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) against these errant cyclists.
Checks were carried out on 27 teenagers, aged between 12 and 19.
LTA also seized seven non-compliant bicycles and engaged their teenage riders to “raise awareness” of cycling rules and guidelines, the statement said.
Source: Singapore Police Force
As a result of the raid, 13 teenagers in total are under investigation for various offences.
One of them is the 13-year-old boy who was arrested for public nuisance under Section 290 of the Penal Code 1871.
He is also under investigation for making abusive communication towards a public servant, an offence under Section 6(1) of the Protection from Harassment Act 2014.
The 12 other teenagers under investigation comprise three boys aged 12, 13 and 14.
They are suspected of communicating a false message under Section 14D(1) of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906.
The two older boys, along with five other boys aged between 14 and 19, are also under investigation for riding a bicycle without a working handbrake on a public path under Section 19 of the Active Mobility Act 2017.
Additionally, three teenagers aged between 16 and 19 — two boys and one girl — were caught in possession of e-vaporisers.
They are being investigated under Section 16(3)(a) of the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act 1993.
The last teenager, an 18-year-old boy, is under investigation for gambling with an unlicensed gambling service provider or at an unlawful gambling place, under Section 20(3) of the Gambling Control Act 2022.
Source: Singapore Police Force
SPF said the authorities take “a serious view” of conduct that compromises public safety and order.
This includes making nuisance calls to the police and using abusive words towards public servants in the course of their duties.
It reminded the public that making nuisance calls to the police emergency line wastes police resources and may affect the response to genuine emergencies, adding:
The police will not hesitate to take firm action against those who make nuisance calls to the police or direct abusive words or behaviour towards public servants.
SPF and LTA will carry out regular enforcement operations to address errant behaviour, with offenders to be dealt with “firmly in accordance with the law”, SPF noted.
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force.