Violence down 46pc as police plan reforms

Serious crime has almost halved since the handover, with security chiefs now working to improve police efficiency through reforms expected early next year.

While security sources said they were not afraid the opening of the gambling market by the end of next year would renew turf wars, police would stay vigilant.

The most significant development in the past year is that the gangland violence that plagued the enclave before last year has all but disappeared. Government statistics show the number of violent crimes dropped 46 per cent, from 1,929 in the first nine months of last year to 1,033 in the same period this year.

The crimes include murder, which decreased from 34 to 10, illegal detention, from 29 to 25, arson, from 122 to 78, and wounding, from 1,744 to 920. The overall number of crimes fell 4.8 per cent, from 7,046 in the first nine months last year to 6,707 in the same period this year.

The number of serious crimes reached its peak in the three years before the handover. But the total number of crimes last year reached 9,262, an increase of 13 per cent compared with the previous record in 1996.

Many of the violent crimes, including the shooting of gambling inspectors, were linked to wars among triads wanting to make more money through control of casinos' VIP rooms - many of which were 'franchised' out - before the handover.