Youth Offences Under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act

Question:

Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the typical nature of youth offences under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act; (b) whether the Ministry is aware of any key factors leading to the rise of such offences between 2019 and 2023; and (c) if not, whether there are plans to study this trend to come up with mitigation measures.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:

1. The majority of youth arrests under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act (CESOWA) are for the possession of offensive weapons.

2. Youths commit offences for complex and multifaceted reasons. All stakeholders, including educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, social services and parents, have a role to play in reducing youth crime. It requires a holistic approach, including upstream preventive measures, downstream rehabilitative programmes, as well as enforcement.

3. The Police have been working with schools, Institutes of Higher Learning and the National Crime Prevention Council to educate youths on the consequences of crime, including the possession of offensive weapons. This is done through school talks, crime prevention exhibitions and crime awareness programmes.

4. In the first half of 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will operationalise the Guns, Explosive and Weapons Control Act (GEWCA), which expands the list of regulated offensive weapons, and subjects such weapons to tighter controls. This is to further restrict access to such weapons and deter members of the public, including youths, from acquiring or possessing them.

5. MHA will continue to monitor the number of youth arrests under the CESOWA, and consider further mitigation measures where necessary.