Providing details about the number of offences registered under separate sections of the law book in 14 police stations of the city, Sharma on Friday stated with initiation of night and beat patrolling, the Orissa mission, liberal use of the PASA Act against criminals and the arrest or gunning down of hardened criminals, criminal activities had been brought down to a ``satisfactory level.''

Sharma, however, was cautious about the advent of underworld activities in the city, and said that although the Mumbai underworld targeted less than one per cent of the city's population, like builders for instance, steps would be taken to check the menace. ``We are hopeful that organised crime will stop,'' Sharma added.

According to Sharma, along with checking the crime rate, detecting unsolved cases had also been taken up with equal vigour. Citing the examples of the Sonal-Shilpa murder case, arresting of an inter-state dacoity gang, the month-long visit to Orissa to pick up criminals and the arrests of gangsters like Farooq Munshi and Dilip Maratha, Sharma expressed confidence over the process.

``There are still a few undetected cases which we are still working on,'' Sharma stated, while referring to the sensational Nita Satbhaya murder case.

Announcing the formation of an Economic Offences Cell that will function under the Detection of Crime Branch Sharma admitted that the need for the cell was felt because such cases were difficult to handle. As of now the city police had neither the expertise nor the resources to contain economic offences which, by the admission of police officers themselves, were on the rise.

Sharma also added that while the economic offences cell was taking shape at the state level, the city cell would be strengthened as well subsequently.

The department was also planning to come out with a pamphlet instructing people on how they could be helpful to the police, Sharma said, adding that speed-breakers would also be put up at various places in the city to ease the traffic chaos.