Police urge teenagers to report criminal activity
A troubling wave of teen violence has Vancouver police urging young people to call for help right away if they feel unsafe, or at least go to someone they trust if they or someone they know is targeted.
Police have responded to a series of acts of violence in recent weeks, and are worried it will only get worse if young people don't call out the perpetrators more often.
“A number of teens have already been hurt, and we're worried the violence will further escalate,” said VPD Sgt. Steve Addison. He said police believe many youth crimes continue to go unreported.
“That's why we're imploring young people to come forward if they're a victim of violence, or if they have information that could prevent someone else from getting caught up in a dangerous situation.”
Addison said the VPD are investigating a number of swarmings, robberies and “reports of violent rituals meant to demean and humiliate peers.”
He said that, since spring break, officers have also dealt with youth carrying around imitation guns, bear spray, brass knuckles and machetes around schools and in the community.
Among the notable incidents, on April 16, two different teen boys were surrounded and held at knifepoint by a group of 15 to 20 teens in separate incidents while walking after dark near East Boulevard and West 41st Avenue in Kerrisdale. They were both robbed of their backpacks, wallets and electronics.
Police are warning both youth and parents about a “concerning trend of teenagers swarming, assaulting and videotaping their peers in humiliating and demeaning bullying rituals,” he said.
“These rituals typically include a group of teens surrounding a lone victim, then punching, kicking and slapping them until they fall to the ground, before forcing them to kiss their attackers' shoes.”
He said videos of the attacks are sometimes posted online.
He said that unfortunately, the way these bullying incidents play out can discourage the victims from coming forward for fear of “retribution and further humiliation.”
Police are encouraging parents to speak to their kids about bullying and violence, and to encourage them to call police or report a crime if targeted.