Jigmi Wangdi

“Please be responsible, love yourself.”  

That was a message from the Deputy Chief of Police, Colonel Passang Dorji to the youth when talking about youth-related crime and violence. 

The purpose of his tour was to sensitise and create awareness on youth-related issues. “It is the duty of the dzongkhag stakeholders to solve the issues related to the youth,” he said, adding that issues related to youth require the involvement of all the governing agencies. 

“I am informing all the stakeholders to take necessary measures to correct the youth. We have to take extra steps together to curb the problems related to the youth,” Colonel Passang Dorji said. 

The RBP has been tackling various youth-related violence and criminal activities owing to a surge in crime rate since the relaxation of the Covid-19 restrictions. 




Passang Dorji said that the step had to be taken to ensure that youth do not participate in criminal activities. “Clemencies from our side have resulted in the increase in youth being involved in drugs, alcohol, stabbings, and fighting cases.” 

He added: “Our duty is to confirm a crime, arrest and detain and charge sheet the criminal, whether it is youths, students or hardcore criminals.” 

Passang Dorji said that the RBP is carrying out awareness campaigns in schools. “I am going to dzongkhags and meeting the officials and local government bodies. The superintendents and officers commanding the divisions are visiting the schools.” 




He said that the police are working on conducting awareness campaigns more systematically with new strategies based on the issues that the youth are facing. 

Passang Dorji said that the problems young people face are social in nature. “These issues cannot be taken upon by an individual agency or person. It is an issue that should be taken up by stakeholders together and try to see what we can do for the youth to make them responsible citizens of tomorrow.  If we can work in a coordinated way, I am sure we will be able to address youth-related issues in the country.”

Data on youth crime for 2022 shows that police have arrested 594 youths, out of which 202 were students.

Sixty-one young people were involved in battery in Thimphu alone since March of this year.