The Manila Times

Davao police beef up crime drive

BY RUTH PALO

DAVAO CITY: The regional police have vowed to intensify its security campaign against eight focus crimes. These focus crimes are theft, rape, robbery, physical injury, murder, homicide, car theft and motorcycle theft.

Records from the Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 shows that from Jan. 2 to Sept. 17, 2022, a total of 1,006 incidents of the eight focus crimes were recorded in Davao Region.

Of this number, 983 cases were already filed in court, 551 suspects were arrested, and 23 cases remain unsolved.

BGen. Benjamin Silo Jr., PRO 11 director, during a police and military press corps briefing at Camp Sgt. Quintin M. Merecido Command on Wednesday, September 21, said police forces were able to clear 97.71 percent of the reported cases in the region.

Silo attributed the crime solution to the competence of police investigators and the active participation of civilians.

“There are many factors that can be attributed to the lowering of crime rates. First, the skills of our personnel,” he said.

“What really counts as the most helpful instrument that is key to the resolution of the incidents is the direct participation of the community. Those people who saw the crimes are brave enough to act as our witnesses in the filing of cases,” Silo added.

He said statistics also showed that the number of focus crimes usually increases during the “ber” months — September, October, November and December.

He, however, vowed that the regional office will strengthen all security measures and “intensify police visibility” to curb the expected rise of criminal activities in the region during the “ber” months.

“The people can expect that during the ‘ber’ months, we are going to intensify police visibility, we’re going to regularly conduct our Sacleo (simultaneous anti-criminality law enforcement operations), we’re going to put a much higher percentage of our personnel in the field so that the people in the whole Davao Region cannot only see our police personnel in the field, but they can also feel the presence and protection of our people,” Silo said.

Police City Director LtCol. Alberto Lupaz, on the other hand, said of the eight focus crimes, theft cases remain on top in the city.

He added that from July to September 15 of this year, a total of 30 cases were recorded in the city, almost double the 16 cases recorded during the same period last year.

Lupaz said the Davao police have accomplished a lot in terms of curbing theft cases after it reinstated Oplan R.A.T. Tugis (robbery/hold-up, akyat-bahay and theft).

He also said the relaunching of Oplan Kalinaw will also aid in curbing the increase of criminal activities in the coming months.

Oplan Kalinaw is the program of the Davao police that summarizes best security practices including free medical services and strengthens community relations in the city.

The program aims to foster a stronger police-community relationship and to curb the city’s rising crime rate.

Regions

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2022-09-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-09-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://digitaledition.manilatimes.net/article/281736978316906

The Manila Times