THERE was little change in the crime volume of the Cebu Provincial Police Office in 2008 compared to that of 2007, although a slight drop in crime was recorded.

From a crime volume of 2,461 in 2007, the figure dropped nearly two percent to 2,423 in 2008.

Danao City reported the most number of crimes last year, registering 219 crimes out of the 2,423 in Cebu Province.

Talisay City followed with 155 crimes, Conso-lacion with 145, Carcar City with 120 and Barili with 67. Balamaban came in sixth with 62 crimes while Toledo City registered 58 crimes. Carmen, Ronda and Bogo City completed the top 10, with 51, 46, and 40 crimes, respectively.

Supt. Romeo Perigo, deputy provincial director for operations, said the economic activities in these areas were what contributed to the rise in crime.

Perigo cited the murders of Eva Mae Peligro and Gwendolyn Balasta and the bank robbery in Carcar City as among the high-profile cases that happened in 2008.
Peligro and Balasta were chopped to pieces and thrown in different parts of the Manipis road in Talisay City, Minglanilla and City of Naga.

Two men and a woman are facing trial for their murder.

In Carcar City, a shootout between policemen and two robbers foiled the robbery of the Rural Bank of Cebu South. One of the robbers was slain during the shootout while his accomplice was later killed after posting bail.

Solved

Perigo also noted they had to deal with political clashes in the towns of Tudela, Ronda and Daanbantayan.

“But these were all solved by our command, under the leadership of Senior Supt. Carmelo Valmoria,” he assured.

As for the shooting incidents in Ronda town, Perigo said a team of officers has been dispatched there to account for wanted persons believed to be behind the spate of shootings in the town’s mountain villages.

The crime of physical injuries, which was highest in 2007, remained the most committed crime in 2008, but the figure decreased from 617 incidents to 552.

There were 155 murders committed in 2008, 80 homicide cases, 552 cases of physical injuries, 54 rapes, 239 robberies and 494 thefts.

Index crimes dropped by 6.3 percent, from 1,679 cases to 1,574.

Results

A rise in non-index crimes was noted, from 782 in 2007 to 849 in 2008. But Perigo said there was “no cause for alarm” because non-index crimes are those that are police-initiated operations.

Non-index crimes are considered operational accomplishments in the campaign against drugs, gambling, loose firearms and environmental laws.

Crime solution efficiency remained at 84 percent. In 2008, 2,036 cases were solved while 387 were unsolved. The year before, they solved 2,073 cases and left 388 unsolved.

The average monthly crime rate also stayed at 10. (MEA)

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(January 4, 2009 issue)
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