BAGUIO CITY -- The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) reported a 47-percent decrease in crime volume from January to November this year, compared to the same period in 2016.
City police chief, Sr. Supt. Ramil Saculles, in a report submitted to the city government, said that the total crime volume during the period this year is 3,220, lower by 2,857 from last year’s 6,077 crime incidents.
Saculles said that of the total crime volume, index crimes decreased by 70 percent or 676 incidents this year compared to last year’s 1,597.
“The collaborative efforts of the BCPO and support of different stakeholders in the implementation of anti-criminality plans and strategies resulted in the significant decrease of index crimes,” he said.
Non-index crimes, he said, also decreased by 33 percent, equivalent to 1,260 crime incidents, compared to the 3,804 cases from January to November 2016.
He said that theft cases remained the most prevalent in the city.
“However, the incidents recorded from January to November 2017 decreased by 1,021 or 76 percent compared to the same period in 2016,” he said.
Saculles further reported that there were 63 robbery cases recorded during the period this year, a 76-percent decrease from the 326 cases during the same period in 2016.
On crimes against persons, physical injuries recorded the bulk of the cases with 235 this year compared to 476 last year, marking a 50-percent decrease. For homicide cases, the 22 cases last year slid to 13 this year. There were only two incidents of murder this year, a 90-percent drop from 22 last year.
The BCPO also recorded a 23-percent increase in its crime solution efficiency or 39 percent in 2016 against 62 percent this year.
Saculles attributed the improved peace and order situation of the city to the active support of the stakeholders and force multipliers “who exerted a deliberate and pragmatic crime prevention and control for the improvement of peace and order situation of the city.”
He explained that the improved peace and order situation is also attributed to the intensified implementation of Oplan Cross Rider and Oplan Rizal, as well as the use of the Geographic Information System-Based Crime Analysis (GIS-BCA).
Oplan Cross Rider is the conduct of massive checkpoint operations to seal all ingress and egress to and from Baguio City. With the aid of the GIS-BCA, the BCPO deploys police personnel wearing reflectorized vest along the identified hotspots or focus areas during the peak hours as a deterrent to crime, while the revitalized implementation of Oplan Rizal rescues the youth from vice-related incidents or being in conflict with the law.
BCPO, Saculles said, also carried out the execution of Project Tower, a two-pronged strategy for anti-pickpocket and police presence on the overpasses while monitoring the movements of pedestrians and motorists in crowded streets and gridlocks at the Central Business District.
Also contributing to the immediate prevention and solution of crimes is the execution of the Motorcycle Response Teams.
Saculles added that the reduced crime volume is not only their accomplishment but also of the stakeholders and with the aid of the city government, which continues to provide moral, spiritual and even financial support. (PNA)
