The situation of law violations and public disorder involving juveniles is on the rise, presenting a serious problem that needs more education, law enforcement, and early intervention to prevent crimes.

Lường Văn Quân, a taxi driver in Thanh Bình ward, Điện Biên Phủ city, shared: “I often pick up and drop off passengers late at night, and many times I have to deal with speeding, reckless driving, and weaving by some teenagers. To ensure safety, I slow down, stay close to the edge of the road, but I still get scared when I hear the loud revving and engine noises at night.”

The issue goes beyond just reckless driving and speeding; some teenagers are even organizing races, performing wheelies, and more dangerously, carrying weapons like knives, machetes, or iron pipes to intimidate others and settle conflicts.

In February 2025, a group of 20-30 teenagers, aiming to boast their accomplishments on Facebook under the title “Youths Freeing Điện Biên Phủ,” began gathering late at night to race motorcycles at high speeds while carrying weapons and performing stunts such as weaving and popping wheelies across the streets of Điện Biên Phủ city.

To avoid detection by authorities, the group often wore masks to cover their license plates or removed the plates altogether. Through investigative measures, the Criminal Police Department (CPD) identified 12 individuals in the group. Based on gathered evidence, the CPD issued administrative violations for the individuals related to causing public disorder.

This is just one of five cases related to public disorder that the CPD has investigated since the beginning of 2025.

Colonel Nguyễn Xuân Lâm, Deputy Director of the CPD, commented on the situation: “These incidents mainly occur in Điện Biên Phủ city, Điện Biên district, and Mường Lay town. A common feature of these incidents is that the perpetrators quickly organize gatherings via social media like Facebook and Zalo; they carry dangerous weapons, ride motorcycles at high speeds without license plates, speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, causing danger to pedestrians. Some cases are violent, prepared in advance with weapons stored at locations like poorly monitored homes or areas with little traffic.”

To prevent juvenile delinquency and crimes such as public disorder and intentional injury, since the start of 2025, the CPD has compiled a list of 150 youths showing signs of criminal activity, many of whom have previously participated in brawls and public disorder incidents. They have also coordinated with local police to organize over 60 legal education sessions in schools and residential areas, detecting and preventing over 20 groups of teenagers preparing to cause trouble.

From the beginning of the year, the CPD has launched a criminal case against 19 individuals, mostly secondary school students with no prior criminal records but displaying aggressive behavior. They have also issued administrative penalties for 2 cases and coordinated with families and schools to warn 12 other individuals and get them to sign commitments to avoid reoffending.

For instance, on May 8, 2025, the provincial Police’s Police Investigation Agency issued an official decision to initiate a criminal case against 18 individuals involved in a public disorder on the night of April 15, 2025. Seven individuals were arrested and placed in detention, while 11 minors were assigned a guardian.

These tinhorn individuals liked to display their power and engage in dangerous activities like making weapons such as knives, machetes, and rods. Every two weeks, the group would meet to ride motorcycles at high speeds, carrying weapons, weaving, popping wheelies, and revving their engines along National Highway 279, from Điện Biên district to Điện Biên Phủ city, to provoke the traffic police and challenge other youth groups.

On April 15, due to a dispute on social media, this group met at a designated spot in the C10 Detention Center in Noong Hẹt commune to fight. The authorities arrested them before they could access their weapons.

From the investigation, it was revealed that most of the offenders were young individuals, ranging in age from 17 to 20, and all had dropped out of school.

This situation, unfortunately, reflects a wider issue: most of the individuals involved in public disorder cases are under 18, have dropped out of school, and engage in delinquent activities due to a lack of supervision and guidance from their families. Current laws are insufficient to deter those under 16 years of age. These individuals often use technology to coordinate gatherings, and once detected by authorities, they quickly disperse and regroup at different locations.

Authorities warn that if street crime is not dealt with early, it could evolve into organized crime syndicates, creating long-lasting consequences and disrupting public security.

Therefore, in addition to the concerted efforts of law enforcement, there must be strong coordination between schools, families, and social organizations to monitor and educate delinquent students still in school, and local authorities should manage and educate young people who have dropped out of school. Family education remains the key foundation in preventing juvenile delinquency and promoting lawful behavior.