Local resident Chen Jinghua said social order in Baiyun is worse than in other districts.

It is not unusual for residents and tourists in the district to be threatened by criminals, she said, adding she once had two mobile phones stolen in a month.

"We need more police to fight crime here," she said.

Since the start of a campaign in Baiyun early last month, police have detained 225 suspects from 22 gangs and dealt with 89 other cases.

The crackdown has contributed to a 35-percent year-on-year drop in crime in the first three months of this year.

On March 3, police confiscated a gun, two bullets, several knives and five bags of drugs found in a van on Sanyuanli Avenue during a nighttime raid.

Two muggers who had accumulated the haul were apprehended on Tongtai Road on March 20.

However, robbery remains a major problem in Baiyun, the officer said.

More crime-reduction campaigns could soon be launched in the area, he said.

He called on residents and tourists to report all criminal activity to the police.

(China Daily April 9, 2008)