Police checks surveilance cameras in Phạm Ngũ Lão Ward, District 1, HCM City. – Photo tuoitre.vn

HCM CITY – Police and experts discussed measures to tackle crime in HCM City in a forum held by Tuổi trẻ (Youth) newspaper on Thursday.

Representatives from the city police, the people’s procuracy and the Department of Information and Communications joined the forum.

Senior lieutenant-colonel Vũ Như Hà, deputy head of the Counsellor Department under the HCM City Police, said that assaults stemmed personal conflicts.

Conflict could arise when people drank alcohol and argued, he said.

Colonel Nguyễn Minh Thông, director of the Investigation Police Department, said that more than 50 per cent of crimes were committed by those aged between 18 and 30.

As many as 63 per cent of criminals in HCM City did not have jobs.

“Reducing the number of crimes is not the responsibility of the police only, but also the responsibility of families and schools,” he said.

Hà said that the city police had employed different crime fighting techniques. Mobile police worked with traffic police on patrols. The police performed administrative checks at residential quarters and massage parlours and installed cameras at crime hot spots.

One difficult problem the police faced was taking drug addicts to rehabilitation centres.

Many crimes were committed by drug addicts, but it was difficult to make them go to rehabilitation centres, said Hà.

Đoàn Tạ Cửu Long, deputy director of the HCM City People’s Procuracy, said that robberies happened as some shops purchased the thieved goods, but the country lacked regulations and effective measures to manage these shops.

Representatives at the conference applauded the installation of CCTV cameras.

Lê Thành Hưng, director of the Police Ward 12 in Gò Vấp District, said that the ward had about 2,000 cameras on roads where a lot of traffic accidents and public disorder occurred. The cameras were paid for from funds contributed by local residents and brought significant results.

If any crimes occurred, local authorities would arrive after a few minutes, he said.

Đoàn Tạ Cửu Long suggested the municipal Department of Information and Communications issue regulations on storing data from cameras as the foundation of prosecuting criminals.

Bùi Việt Dương, head of the Post and Telecommunication Division under the municipal Department of Information and Communication, said that the department was conducting a pilot programme of installing security cameras in District 5. The pilot programme was expected to finish in July. If successful, it would be expanded to other districts. HCM City saw more than 1,000 crimes in the first three months this year, a decrease of 377 compared with the three last months last year, according to HCM City Police. -- VNS