Street crimes increase

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Police Office records showed a 62-percent increase in the number of street crimes for the first quarter of this year compared to the last three months of 2013.

As per statistics of CCPO’s Investigation and Detective Management Branch, a total of 477 street crimes have been recorded from October to December, which is relatively lower compared to the 771 crimes recorded from January to March this year.

Pickpocketing topped the list, with 261 incidents recorded, followed by 125 incidents of Salisi, a modus wherein perpetrators distract their victims before stealing their belongings.

The third street crime mostly committed in the city is the so-called Tutok-kalawit, with 110 incidents recorded by police. In this type of crime, a woman suddenly hugs the victim like they are old friends and then poke a knife on her side.

Among the 11 police stations under CCPO, Fuente Police has the highest number of crimes recorded.

Chief Insp. Aileen Recla, IDMB chief, said the street crimes contributed an 11-percent increase in the crime volume this year.

For the first quarter, CCPO has so far recorded a total of 3,232 incidents, 2,089 of which are index crimes or crimes against properties and persons, and 1,143 are non-index crimes or the violation of special laws and city ordinance. For the last quarter of 2013, a total of 2,605 crimes have been listed.

Recla said the crime increase dismayed Mayor Michael Rama who learned about it on Thursday.

Because of this, all police stations and units are now directed to conduct frequent checkpoints and meet with barangay officials for coordination.

Among the factors that contributed to the increase of crimes, Recla said, is the lack of supervision of station chiefs on their personnel.

“Kinahanglan inig deploy ilang follow-up-on kay dunay uban inig deploy mulakaw man,” the IDMB chief said. —/NSA (FREEMAN)