They post photos of “brothers” covered in tattoos on social media to pique curiosity. Some send private messages on social media platforms to recruit members.
Accounts of how gangs are tapping into social media to recruit young members were told to participants of an annual camp organised for at-risk youths by the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) Secret Societies Branch yesterday — now into its eighth year.
“When youths see these photos through social media, they get very curious … they want to be cool (and) known to the public,” said former gang member Kim Whye Kee, 37, who shared his story with the 35 participants of the camp.
Mr Azmi Abdul Rehman, 43, who was in a gang for more than 15 years until he quit in 2011, added that gangs are “more open” than before. With gangs recruiting through social media platforms nowadays, he said it has become easier for youths to fall into bad company, but the conspicuity also increases their chances of getting caught.
The at-risk youths, aged between 13 and 18, were asked to share how they were recruited, and the advantages and disadvantages of being part of a gang, among other things, during the two-day camp held at Pulau Ubin.
Some said they were recruited through Facebook, where a friend would send a message asking directly if they would be interested in joining a gang. Others said they were approached during football games.
They said they were lured in because of the easy money from criminal activities, or saw it as a way to make more friends. At the same time, they admitted that they were stressed out about getting caught or drifting away from their loved ones.
For example, Jack (not his real name), 16, said a schoolmate confronted him last year, accusing him of looking for trouble. Later, he was asked to join the schoolmate’s gang, where he helped sell drugs. Jack decided to call it quits when he realised that his family was slowly giving up on him.
“That really affected me, so I wanted to quit the gang and try to lead a better life,” he said, adding that he is inspired to follow the path of the social worker who helped him.
Superintendent of Police, Bernard Wee, who heads the Secret Societies Branch, said youth crime is multi-dimensional, requiring the police to work closely with key stakeholders to address root causes of the issue.
“Through such experiential learning opportunities, we seek to reinforce the youths’ self-confidence and instil in them self-discipline and positive values,” he said. “They would then learn to take responsibility for themselves, and make the right decisions to steer clear from gangs and to stay crime-free.”
Source: www.todayonline.com
