Hong Kong has witnessed a significant drop in thefts, robberies and burglaries in 2004, proving that police efforts in combating crime are paying off, Hong Kong Commissioner of Police Dick Lee said Saturday.

He attributes the drop to enhanced public awareness.

Speaking on a radio talk show, Lee said robberies and burglaries have become more organized and complicated. To deal with them, the police have started providing shop owners with information on the modus operandi of robbery and burglary syndicates.

Although the overall crime rate fell last year, there was a 13 percent rise in domestic violence, Lee said. The police have enhanced the training for officers to deal with such cases.

The police are also planning to revamp its computer system so as to allow officers to trace the information of callers, Lee added.