Police are prepared should the 13th general election and Sarawak state election be held simultaneously, said deputy inspector-general of police Hussin Ismail.

He said Sarawak police had been engaged in detailed planning with the Election Commission to ensure smooth running of the Sarawak state election, which has to be called by July next year while the GE need only be held in 2013.

He told this to reporters after making a working visit to the Sarawak police headquarters in Kuching today.

He said should the two elections be held together, additional manpower would be mobilised from the police's various departments to ensure there was sufficient personnel to maintain safety and security.

"We will face the situation based on the needs," he said.

As for 2011, Hussin said police would come up with new and innovative measures to further reduce the crime index with emphasis on crime prevention based on the community policing concept.

- Bernama