Fewer criminal cases and traffic accidents were recorded at China's primary and middle schools in last year, said the Ministry of Public Security Tuesday.

 

Chinese police solved over 13,000 criminal cases which resulted in the lives or properties of teaching staff and students being infringed. They also dealt with more than 20,000 minor offenses. Such cases are down 19.7 percent from 2005.

 

The number of traffic accidents near schools fell by 2,235. This is 13.7 percent down from a year ago.

 

Vice Minister of Public Security, Liu Jinguo, said security on campus was still not good enough. Serious criminal cases like rape and kidnapping were reported in a number of schools and some students had money extorted from them.  

 

Serious traffic accidents were also recorded in 2006 and resulted in the loss of precious young lives, he said.

 

A MPS official said police intensified the crackdown on crimes occurring around schools in 2006 by updating and tightening security, improving traffic management and strengthening fire control.

 

A national survey of 100,000 people on security, conducted by the Central Committee for Comprehensive Management of Public Security earlier this month, showed that 47.2 percent of respondents thought security around schools was "good". This is up 2.9 percent from 2005.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2007)