CRIME in Cebu City dropped from January until October 2019, with an average of 35 crimes per day, compared to 42 per day in the same period in 2018.
The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) recorded 10,724 incidents in the past 10 months—a 16.2 percent decrease from 12,800 incidents recorded in the same period last year.
The CCPO submitted to the City Council its report that covers crime statistics and other matters relating to public safety.
Theft remains the prevalent crime in Cebu City with 1,156 recorded cases. In 2018, the CCPO recorded around 1,817 theft incidents.
As cases of murder, physical injury, robbery and motorcycle theft went down this year, rape incidents increased from 65 cases in 2018 to 68 cases.
Carnapping increased to seven cases from last year’s four.
Out of the 2,045 cases of murder, physical injury, robbery, motorcycle theft, carnapping, rape and theft, the CCPO had already solved 1,230 cases, or a 60.14 percent accomplishment rate.
As to the vehicular and traffic incidents, the complaints filed against drivers for reckless imprudence resulting in physical injuries went down from 1,044 to 596. The complaints lodged against drivers for reckless imprudence resulting in damaged properties also dropped from 3,832 to 2,069.
The traffic-related homicide cases, however, went up from last year’s 20 cases to 23 cases in the past 10 months this year.
P/Col. Giovanie Maines, CCPO officer-in-charge, attributed the 16.2 percent decrease of crime incidents to the CCPO’s 5.3 percent crime clearance efficiency and 2.6 percent crime solution efficiency. A case is considered cleared once a suspect has been identified, though not yet arrested or booked.
The police official assured the City Council that the CCPO will train its personnel on how to defend themselves in ambush situations.
The CCPO has 1,051 personnel spread out in the city’s 80 barangays. It has 11 police stations, two sub-stations, 27 police outposts and a tourist police station located between the City Hall and the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño. According to Maines, the CCPO has been implementing a 24-hour regular checkpoint.
Meanwhile, residents in eight mountain barangays surrendered 43 unlicensed firearms to the City Mobile Force Company (CMFC). P/Lt. Col. Randy Korret, CMFC chief, said they have been conducting a campaign to recover around 25,000 loose firearms in the city. (JJL, AYB)