A month-long crackdown on crime and drug use by youths was launched in Tuen Mun by police last night.
This follows the death a week ago of a 13-year-old schoolgirl from the district who had allegedly taken a mix of drugs - ketamine and Ecstacy - in a Mongkok disco.
Superintendent Cheung Koon-wah said Operation Zone Divider would involve teams of up to 80 officers, including the Police Dog Unit and Quick Response Force. They would carry out three to four raids each week this month, focusing on video-game arcades, bars, karaoke parlours, billiard halls and public sports grounds.
He said the raids were a preventative measure and not a knee-jerk reaction to the teenager's death.
'We are not conducting this operation because the situation is getting noticeably worse or because of the high-profile death of a 13-year-old girl. Tuen Mun actually compares favourably with other districts and crime figures show a decrease in juvenile and drug-related crime since last year,' said Mr Cheung.
'We just want to do better, especially during the summer holidays. The operation is to prevent things from getting worse.'
There were 243 juvenile arrests in Tuen Mun in the first half of the year, representing 18.4 per cent of all arrests in the district, down from 22.3 per cent last year. Petty theft was the main juvenile crime (54 per cent).