SINGAPORE, Nov. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- The Singapore police are recruiting students as young crime prevention ambassadors as part of efforts to reduce crime involving the youth.

    "To reduce youth crime, particularly shop theft and rioting, the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) has been engaging students to act as Student Crime Prevention Ambassadors (CPAs)," Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee saidat the launch of the annual Festive Season Crime Prevention campaign on Sunday.

    He said that the aim is to teach students crime prevention strategies and they in turn can become mentors for fellow students.

    NCPC believes that peer influence exerts a strong influence on youths, guiding them to make sound choices in life, he added.

    Starting next year, a new program will be rolled out at 32 schools, teaching National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) trainees to stop crime.

    "It consists of a 3-year program where NPCC Cadets would acquire crime prevention skills and knowledge and embark on schooland community projects under the supervision of both the school officers and the police liaison officers from the NPCs," he said, adding that "this program serves to strengthen the link between the police and the schools, establishing NPCC as a platform for its youths to become efficient crime prevention police youth ambassadors."

    Pointing out that over the first nine months of this year, there have been increases in incidents of housebreaking, robbery,snatch theft and handphone theft, he stressed that crime prevention is everybody's business. Enditem