SECURITY SITUATION IN CROATIAN DANUBE REGION IMPROVES

VUKOVAR, Sept 11 (Hina) - The security situation in the UN-administered areas of Osijek and Vukovar counties has improved, Transitional Police Force chief Ivan Babic said on Thursday. "The feeling of safety is more present than in the earlier months," Babic told UNTAES radio in an interview broadcast on Thursday afternoon. Babic said that 80 property-related crimes, 21 white-collar crimes and one case of organised crime had been registered in the UN-controlled area of Vukovar County in August. In the same period 42 property-related crimes, two white-collar crimes and seven cases of organised crime had been recorded in the UN- administered area of Osijek County. The percentage of identified perpetrators was much higher in August, when it amounted to 47.7 per cent, than in July, when it totalled 26.6 per cent, Babic said. He noted that the number of verbal incidents among members of different ethnic groups was smaller than expected, despite an increasing number of displaced persons returning to their prewar homes. Babic called on all residents of the UN-administered Danube river region to display Croatian number plates on their vehicles without fear since that would facilitate liberalisation of traffic at checkpoints along former + lines of separation. (hina) vm 112053 MET sep 97