Sihanoukville police have been quite busy lately. Between September 5 and 9, they ran a special crackdown that solved six criminal cases in a row. The haul included everything from violent assaults and lock-picking to cable-stripping, materials theft, and phone and jewelry snatching. All told, nine suspects were rounded up, including some Chinese nationals, along with their motorbikes and tools.
Some victims have already gotten their belongings back, while the rest of the suspects have been sent over to the provincial court to face charges. Walking down the street past roaring motorbikes and noisy roadside food stalls, news of these arrests is the kind of neighborhood talk people share over tea—mostly just hoping it keeps the streets a bit safer.
Local media says the police plan to keep stepping up patrols and crackdowns to protect both locals and tourists. Sounds good on paper, but whether it actually lasts will depend on how often those patrol trucks are really rolling past after dark.
