PRO 6 reports higher crime solution efficiency
Police Regional Office (PRO 6) regional director Chief Supt.
Isagani Cuevas and Commissioner Dante Jimenez of the
Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission during the
consultation briefing at Camp Delgado.
Based on the recent report of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6, crime incidents in Western Visayas from January to June 2008 dropped significantly than the same period last year.
This, PRO 6 Director Chief Superintendent Isagani R. Cuevas disclosed during the consultative meeting with Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Co-chairman and Commissioner Dante Jimenez last July 24, 2008 at Camp Martin Delgado, Fort San Pedro, Iloilo City.
PRO 6 recorded a crime volume of 1,291 cases or 210 cases or 14% lower against the 1,501 cases last year.
The report likewise showed that of 1,291 cases, 792 of which were index crimes, these are, murder, homicide, physical injuries, rape, robbery, and theft, while 499 cases comprised the non-index crimes.
The 792 cases of index crimes are 234 cases or 22.81% lower compared to 1,026 cases last year, while the non-index crimes recoded a slight increase of 24 cases or 4.81% from 475 cases last year to 499 cases this year.
For the period, Negros Occidental posted with highest crime volume of 305 cases, Iloilo Province with 193 cases, Iloilo City with 177, Aklan with 167cases, Antique with 125 cases, Capiz with 111 cases, Bacolod City with 107, and Guimaras with 106 cases.
Accordingly, the total of 1,232 solved cases from January to June 2008 reflected the increase of PRO 6 crime solution efficiency with 95.43% compared to 94.60% of the same period last year. The Bacolod City Police Office and Iloilo Police Provincial Office recorded with 100% crime solution efficiency, Guimaras with 96.23%, Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office with 95.74%, Capiz Police Provincial Office with 95.50%, Iloilo City Police Office with 95.48%, Aklan Police Provincial Office with 91.62%, and Antique with the lowest at 88%.
Cuevas said the decrease in crime volume and increase in crime solution efficiency could be attributed to the relentless campaign of the PNP for enhanced police visibility and the implementation of 7-9-7 duty shift, which resulted to the faster police response to emergencies and other calls for police assistance.
By 7-9-7 duty shift, Cuevas means that personnel of a police unit shall be divided into three teams. Team A reports to duty from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Team B reports from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Team C reports from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. They shall be rotated weekly. Each personnel will have a day off once weekly. In this scheme, all numbers 1 in Teams A, B and C will have their break on Monday. The numbers 2 will be on Tuesday and so forth.
The said duty scheme replaced the old practices of 'one-day duty, two-day off' or one-day duty, one-day off' which were prejudicial to police operations.
"We are happy of the result but, we know, this is not enough. We have to work harder," Cuevas quipped adding that as long as there are crimes the police must not stop to vigorously implement various anti-criminality, anti-insurgency and anti-terrorism programs and projects of the PNP.
He likewise calls for the utmost cooperation of the public in this endeavor, stressing the word of Robert Peel, "The police is the community, the community is the police." (F. Lindero)