DAVAO CITY – The Police Regional Office in Davao Region (PRO-11) vowed to intensify its security campaign against what it dubbed ‘focus crimes’ for the remaining months of this year.
In a statement issued Thursday, PRO-11 Regional Director Brig. Gen. Benjamin Silo Jr. said police visibility will be ramped up starting this month up to December across the region to curb the expected rise of criminal activities during the holiday season.
He specified eight focus crimes as theft, rape, robbery, physical injury, murder, homicide and carnapping. Since January this year, the PRO-11 recorded 1,006 incidents of focus crimes in the region.
Of these, 983 cases were filed in court while 23 remain unsolved. Silo said police forces resolved 97.71 percent of the reported cases regionwide.
“We are very thankful that our fellow citizens are aware and they coordinate with our police to resolve the crimes reported in Davao Region,” he said.
Meanwhile Davao City police chief Lt. Col. Alberto Lupaz said theft topped their list of eight focus crimes in their jurisdiction.
Since July this year, Lupaz said 30 theft cases were recorded in this city or nearly double the 16 cases recorded during the same period last year.
But Lupaz said the Davao City Police Office was able to curb theft cases after it reinstated Oplan RAT Tugis (Robbery/Hold-up, Akyat Bahay and Theft).
He said the relaunching of Oplan Kalinaw, an anti-criminality and social outreach program, will help curb the increase in criminal activities in the coming months. “Overall, the relaunching of Oplan Kalinaw is very successful and we are studying the next location,” he said. (PNA)
