TEHRAN -- The crime rate has fallen by 50% in Iran over the past two years, national police chief Esmaeil Ahmadi-Moqaddam said here on Saturday.

Speaking at a joint ceremony of the Law Enforcement Forces, Ahmadi-Moqaddam said that over the past two years, the number of violent crimes including murder, kidnapping, and armed rubbery has dropped by 50 percent.
He added that over 85% of overall crimes and 90% of violent crimes reported across the country are detected by police officers.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the police commander predicted that during the Fifth Five-Year Development Plan (2005-2010) traffic fatality rates will be decreased by 50% and the number of addicts will be reduced by 80%