The police bureau of Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, on Thursday handed out 100,000 yuan to 18 civilians who helped with the city's crackdown on robbery and mugging.

The bureau was honoring a promise made in January last year of a reward of 5,000 to 10,000 yuan for people who help arrest a robbery or snatch theft suspect.

The rewards have proved to be a smart move. A man who robbed a jewelry store on Dec. 9 last year was arrested in six days on the basis of clues provided by local people.

Also in December, three people who had robbed a taxi driver of 180 yuan in a village named Yuefeng were nabbed by six local security personnel and taken to the police station.

Robbery and snatch theft are rampant in some southern cities and local governments have been trying out various measures to stop the crimes.

The government of Guangzhou, capital of China's richest province of Guangdong, has revealed a plan to install an additional 250,000 video cameras across the city this year to enhance public security. Critics say the move may infringe on people's privacy.

(Xinhua News Agency February 9, 2007)