CRIME rate in Benguet decreased during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Governor Melchor Diclas said the Benguet police continue to maintain peace and order in the province despite the heightened alert against coronavirus disease (Covid–19).
Weekly crime monitoring of the Benguet Provincial Police Office (PPO) showed 42 total index and non-index crimes from March 16 to April 26, 2020 lower compared to the 307 total cases recorded in the same period last year
Since the start of the Luzon-wide ECQ, the provincial police recorded 40 non-index and two index crimes this year compared to the 223 non-index and 84 index crimes in the same period in 2019.
However, there were more than 300 persons were arrested for violating ECQ guidelines.
From March 19 to April 25, there were 224 persons caught violating the curfew, 42 disobeying persons in authority, 22 violating Republic Act No.11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act and another 14 in violation of the curfew and a lone violator on checkpoint guidelines.
Police Colonel Elmer Ragay, Benguet PPO director, underscored a total of 27 checkpoints in the province in place manned on a 24-hour basis.
Benguet together with Baguio City were included among the 10 areas under ECQ extended to May 15.