'Poll crimes'overwhelm police

'Poll crimes'overwhelm police

SURABAYA: East Java Provincial Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman
Gani said on Friday that crime statistics in the province over
the past two weeks had been dominated by breaches of electoral
law.

Out of the 89 legal violations, 53 were electoral violations,
with the remainder being ordinary offenses, said the two star
police general.

"This figure has been collated from both complaints from the
public and detection by police personnel. It was recorded between
March 11 and March 25," said Firman.

Out of the 53 violations, one was a bribery attempt, 17
involved the theft of flags, 19 attacks on property belonging to
political parties, including cars, seven assaults, two cases of
diploma forgery and 11 cases of premature campaigning, said
Firman.

East Java Provincial Police headquarters also recorded 2,753
traffic violations during the two weeks that the official
election campaign has been underway. -- JP