Public asked to fight gambling

JAKARTA (JP): Police in Bogor are intensifying their battle against gambling and appealing to the public to take an active part.

Bogor police chief Col. Syahroeddin ZP said yesterday that the residents should report to the police any time they see gambling activities in their neighborhoods.

"Residents can raid the gambling place or just report the illegal activity to the nearest police station," he told reporters.

Syahroeddin said that the police need the people's active participation in combating crime, particularly because the police are understaffed.

"Without the public's help, it will be even more difficult for the police to combat crime," he said as quoted by Antara.

The Bogor police command, whose jurisdiction covers Bogor, Cianjur and Sukabumi, has 3,000 members who have to serve about six million residents in the three regencies. (pan)