CRIME IN MOSCOW….

According to statistics released this week, serious crimes like manslaughter, assault and robbery were up 56 percent in the first eight months of 2000 compared to the same period in 1999. The number of all crimes recorded rose 43 percent, while the share of crimes solved dropped from 86 percent to 71 percent. Higher-ups in the Moscow police have been widely accused (including by some members of the force) of establishing arrest quotas, which encourage officers to write up drunks and vagrants rather than spend time on difficult and dangerous crimes.