THE Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao bared that the eight focus crimes in Davao Region have decreased by 33.5 percent from January to May 7 this year as compared to the same period last year.
The eight focus crimes include physical injury, rape, murder, homicide, theft, robbery, carnapping of motorcycles, and carnapping of motorized vehicles.
PRO-Davao record showed that from 1,054 in 2019, it went down to 701 in 2020.
Cases of murder reduced from 153 in 2019 to 126 in 2020; homicide from 20 to 19; physical injuries from 244 to 171; robbery from 127 to 95; theft from 267 to 153; rape from 165 to 100; and carnap motorcycles from 76 to 34. Only carnap motor vehicles increased by one from two cases in 2019 to three in 2020.
It can be recalled that since the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak struck the region, the government has ceased the operation of non-essential establishments and sent thousands of people to stay in their respective homes after enhanced community quarantine was implemented in March.
Extended curfew hours, 24-hour liquor ban, and implementation of quarantine passes were done to minimize the movement of the people.
PRO-Davao data further showed that crime statistics in Davao Region plunged to 38.1 percent after the two months implementation of community quarantine in the region because of the threat of coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Based on the data provided by PRO Davao spokesperson Police Major Eudisan Gultiano Friday, May 8, on the PRO-Davao crime statistics, from January 23 to March 13 before the community quarantine, which was later elevated to ECQ was implemented, a total of 3,685 crime incidents were recorded.
Starting March 14 to May 14, PRO Davao noted a significant drop after they registered a total of 2,281 crimes.
Crime against persons from 306 before the quarantine, it went down to 133; crimes against property (194 to 71); non-index crime (1,481 to 524); traffic incidents (775 to 219); and Special laws (929 to 1,334).
Among the top crimes committed included Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, RA 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act; RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act; reckless imprudence resulting to damage to property, and reckless imprudence resulting to physical injury.
In a previous interview, Gultiano said that the current pandemic has a huge factor in the drop in crime incidents in the region. However, even before the crisis, PRO-Davao has noted a decreasing trend of crimes in various provinces.
Authorities warned the public that they are not letting their guards down and law enforcement operations will continue despite the public health emergency.