Guangzhou crime down

GUANGZHOU: Crime in the capital of Guangdong province fell by 14 percent in the first quarter from the same period of last year, the local police department said yesterday.

He Jing, deputy director of the Guangzhou public security bureau, said robberies and purse-snatchings, which have long troubled the city, had fallen 32 percent and 26 percent, respectively, from a year ago.

The main reasons were a special campaign launched earlier this year focusing on high-crime neighborhoods, and larger numbers of police and surveillance cameras on the streets, he said.