British May Watch Kids for Crime Signs

The Associated Press ^ | April 18, 2002 | The Associated Press

[grimalkin]

L O N D O N, April 18 —

Children as young as 3 should be monitored for early signs of criminal behavior, the government said Thursday.

Home Secretary David Blunkett, the minister responsible for law enforcement, said the earlier unruly youngsters are spotted, the earlier authorities can intervene. He called for monitoring in nursery schools, which take 3- and 4-year-olds.

"We have got to be able to pick up on the behavioral reactions of children very quickly, from the moment the child enters nursery education," Blunkett told a parenting conference in north London.

"Instead of trying to pick up the pieces when things go wrong it makes a lot more sense to invest resources in prevention," he said.

Prime Minister Tony Blair's government has introduced several measures against youth crime since it was elected in 1997, including electronic tagging and curfews.

Blunkett has been trying to reduce youth crime in recent months, after a spate of media stories about a surge in street crime.

On Tuesday he proposed placing convicted offenders as young as 10 in special foster homes.

He also said new laws allowing youths aged 12 and over to be held while awaiting trial for crimes such as car theft and burglary would take effect in June in London and nine other crime hotspots, and be extended across Britain by September.

Before the new laws were passed last year, children under 16 could not be held while awaiting trial unless charged with the most serious crimes.

[Falcon4.0]

can you say,

PROFILING

[Tuor]

Bad Thought must be stamped out as early as possible so that Good Thought will have as deep a hold as possible. Any children showing Bad Thought tendencies must receive more intense instruction in Good Thought without delay.

Remember: Good Thought is not just for the children; it's for all of us.

Tuor

[joesnuffy]

guess they missed the royal pothead

[buffyt]

What a bunch of crap! My younger sister was a hyper little kid and wild as a hornet. She is 48 and has NEVER committed any crime of any kind. We fought like banshees when we were kids. We even played with toy guns, bang bang you're dead, we would yell. I remember lots of wildness back then in kids. Then I have watched my own kids go from wild banshees to now being calm, 18, 19, 21 year old well behaved adults. A three year old acts like a 3 year old. My oldest who is 21 this year was so wild, hyper, active, ornery when he was three. Now he is slower than a tree sloth! What a bunch of crapola in this article. Liberal Utopians in Britain!

[GreenLanternCorps]

Okay, let me get this straight. Crime is through the roof, The NHS waiting lists are getting longer, the whole transportation system is broke, and the Labour government is say parents should beware of three year olds????????

Gimme a break!

GLC

PS: Memo to Iain Duncan Smith and the Tories, Tony Blair just wrote "KICK ME" on his behind. USE IT!

[B Knotts]