PRO-7: Fewer crimes during holiday season

CEBU, Philippines —  The holiday season in Central Visayas was generally peaceful after having no major untoward incidents occurred based upon the monitoring of the Police Regional Office 7.

Crime incidents from the period of December 16, 2020 to January 1, 2021 have decreased by 34.2 percent or 996 incidents compared to the period a year ago.

The PRO-7's record on the peace and order index has decreased by 36.3 percent with 1,000 cases from the period of December 16, 2020 to January 1, 2021.

While the public safety index has decreased by 31.7 percent or 425 cases lesser than the year ago.

Over this record, the Cebu Police Provincial Office has recorded the highest number of incidents this week of 678 followed by Cebu City Police Office with 297 and Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office with 286 incidents.

The Bohol Police Provincial Office has recorded a total of 261 incidents while Mandaue City Police Office with 131 and Lapu-Lapu City Police Office reported 252.

Siquijor Police Provincial Office remained with the least number of seven cases recorded.

To sum it all, PRO-7 has recorded 144 focus crimes for the said period which corresponds to a 291 decrease of 66.9 percent than of a year ago with 435 cases.

Meanwhile, the stray bullet incidents logged four incidents this year compared to the zero incident for last year, all transpired on January 1, 2021.

These happened in Cebu City and Negros Oriental wherein three were unharmed with one reported injury.

Furthermore, a total of 234,811 worth of prohibited firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices were confiscated by the PRO-7 as of January 2, 2021.

Operating teams from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal in coordination with the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 7 and Sibonga Fire Station have conducted the destruction of 25,106 assorted firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices yesterday at the RMFB-7 headquarters in Sibonga, Cebu.

Among the confiscated items were 48 pieces of piccolo, four pieces Super Lolo, 60 pieces Lolo Thunder and 24,990 other types of firecrackers. — GMR (FREEMAN)