Police in Dili have forbidden groups of youths from drinking alcohol on the street as part of efforts to reduce conflict and aggressive behavior.
Second Commander of Dili Municipality Police Superintendent Euclidis Belo said youths drinking on the street were causing disruptions to the movements of local residents.
He warned that any weapons also found during police operations would be seized the offenders taken to the station to be processed.
He urged young people who wished to drink to do so at home to avoid getting into trouble, adding that those found drink driving would also be taken to the station for processing.
Belo said that police would be cracking down on public drinking and criminal behavior by increasing night patrols from suburb to suburb.
“We will increase the volume of patrols to help control the situation at night,” he said.
He said police had an obligation to maintain law and order and needed to be particularly vigilant at night when cases of slingshot shootings, fighting and killings were more common.
He also cautioned local motorists and walkers to minimize their activities at night for their own personal safety.
Meanwhile, Member of Commission B (responsible for security, defense and foreign affairs) MP Ana Ribeiro acknowledged that while police had a responsibility to address criminal behavior, this should be done according to internal regulations.
She called on police to take appropriate actions when necessary, but also to respect the rights of youths who were not drinking or causing any trouble on the streets.
