Complaints about youth behaviour rise in Mārupe municipality as local authority turns to parents

In Mārupe municipality, next to Riga, 76 complaints were received in the first nine months of this year about the behaviour of young people and their riding of electric scooters and mopeds. The municipal authority says police work alone cannot solve the problem and is asking parents to help.

Police results

According to the municipality, its Municipal Police opened 44 administrative offence cases during the period. Sixteen of them concerned disturbing public order. The authority considers this number of violations significant.

Police are stepping up monitoring of places where young people gather. This season officers have discussed traffic safety and behaviour with young people more than 100 times. The municipality nevertheless judges that this is not enough to stop the violations and ensure public order.

Appeal to parents

The authority wants parents to discuss with children and teenagers not only compliance with traffic rules but also respect for those around them. Parents are asked to find out where and how young people spend their evenings, and to remind them that making noise, reckless riding and disturbing other people are unacceptable.

The municipality stresses that young people have the right to spend their free time as they wish, but every resident of the municipality is equally entitled to peace and safety. In its view, leisure time must not come at the expense of other residents' peace and safety, especially in the evening and at night.