A significant drop has been seen in thefts, robberies and burglaries, proving that Police efforts in combating crime are paying off, Commissioner of Police Dick Lee says. He also attributes the drop to enhanced public awareness.

Speaking on a radio talk show today, Mr Lee said robberies and burglaries have become more organised and complicated. To deal with them, Police have started providing shop owners with information on the modus operandi of robbery and burglary syndicates.

Although the overall crime rate fell last year, there was a 13% rise in domestic violence. Mr Lee said Police have enhanced the training for officers to deal with such cases.

Police are also planning to revamp its computer system allowing officers to trace the information of callers.

He said 39 fraudulent websites were found last year, with two causing financial loss. Since most of the fraud sites are overseas, Police come across a lot of difficulty in combating the crime. Mr Lee said a number of expert groups have been set up to deal the problem.

He said approval has also been given for Police to recruit 950 disciplinary officers before March 31, 2006. He believed the move will help the force solve its manpower problem.