PRO-7: Fewer crimes recorded

CEBU, Philippines — The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) believes it is winning the war against crime after the regional crime situation decreased by 2,268 crimes compared to last year.

Police Colonel Ildebrandi Usana, the newly-installed Deputy Regional Director for Administration of PRO-7, said that the number was culled from their records between January to June 2019.

Last year, for the same period, PRO-7 recorded 34,121 crimes but this year it only recorded 31,853. Lesser by 2,268 compared to the same period last year.

“We are sending a message to lawless elements not to do their thing here because police are effective. We have been winning the war so far against crime,” he said.

The Cebu City recorded the highest crime solution between January to June 2019, compared to the same period last year, amid tension during the midterm elections.

Usana said in a press conference that the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) solved a total of 753 out of 1,261 cases. The highest in the whole Central Visayas.

The Mandaue City Police Office came in second solving 250 out of 426 cases, the Siquijor Provincial Police Office solved 20 out of 42, cases Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office solved 305 of 763 cases, cases Bohol Provincial Police Office solved 426 out of 1,108 cases, while the Cebu Provincial Police Office solved 895 of 2,328 cases, and the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office solved 96 out of 283 cases.

Usana attributed this to effective policing and regular coordination with other government agencies.

He said that policemen were able to complete police deployments despite the “condensed and highly-urbanized” condition of Cebu City. Cebu City is home to at least 800,000 registered voters based on the latest records from the Philippine Statistics Office. (FREEMAN)