Bali desperate to graple with higher crime rate

DENPASAR: The crime rate in Bali shot up in the first half of 2010 compared to the same period last year, Bali Police said.

The police recorded 609 incidents of crime between January and June, a 4.8 percent increase from the same period last year. Denpasar and Badung topped the list of crime-ridden areas, followed by Buleleng, Tabanan and Gianyar.

"Burglary was most prevalent, followed by grand theft auto, aggravated robbery, homicide and aggravated battery," Bali Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Gde Sugianyar Dwi Putra said. - JP