The child catchers are heading to Moscow, as officials plan to patrol the streets looking to lock up unruly offspring.

Apparently taking the view that parents can’t keep their little ones out of mischief during the three-month school holidays, the city is considering doing their baby-sitting for them to round up kids hanging around outside after dark.

Breaking up groups of teens and ensuring they can’t experiment with drugs is the aim of Moscow Federal Drug Control Service head Vyacheslav Davydov.

But while he told RIA Novosti the plan would work if it went city wide, few others were impressed by plans for a child curfew.

Past failures

“I’m quite sceptical about any regulations of this sort,” Oleg Zykov, president of the ‘No to Alcoholism and Drugs’ foundation, told the Moscow News.

And none of the attempts to impose a curfew in the regions after a special law allowing this was adopted in 2009 have helped the situation so far he added.

“It’s more important to organise a special service that would help solve family problems that push children out to the streets,” Zykov continued. “And in practice, the government has been more keen to fine parents for not doing their parental duty than help families in crisis,” he concluded.

Hardline policing

According to recent reports, some police officers have very little idea about dealing with youngsters.

A criminal case has been initiated in Kursk after a policeman used a stun gun against one of two teenagers who were drinking beer out in a street. Gzt.ru reported that he should have simply contacted their parents to deal with the situation rather than meting out summary justice.

But the idea of getting the public involved in drug patrols doesn’t seem to impress Zykov either.

“This should be totally the job of law enforcement bodies”, Zykov said.

It’s obviously worth thinking of how to make these services more efficient, he added, but no volunteers from the public can help the situation.

Public scepticism

Muscovites also don’t seem to be willing to force the kids from Moscow’s streets.

“You can’t achieve anything good by fighting drug users,” said Pavel. “They should start promoting healthy lifestyles, and not chasing teenagers with a stick at nights.”

And other think that’s causing problems is normal for many youngsters - of cause if doesn’t result into something serious.

“If you don’t want any inconvenience from the children, you should keep them locked up in a cage,” Olga said. “And if you put sticky tape over their mouths, be sure they will be quiet as well.”