Focus crimes down by 49% in 150 days of quarantine: PNP

FILE: A police officer checks the documents presented by the motorcycle-riding couple entering San Mateo town at a quarantine checkpoint along Batasan-San Mateo Road in Rizal province on Thursday (August 13, 2020). (PNA photo by Joseph O. Razon)

MANILA – Joint Task Force Covid Shield commander, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, on Friday said focus crime incidents in the country have dropped by 49 percent during the first 150 days of community quarantine implementation in the country.

Based on the latest JTF Covid Shield data, a total of 12,847 focus crime incidents were recorded from March 17 to August 13, lower than 25,200 incidents recorded from Oct. 19, 2019 to March 16 this year.

This also resulted in a drop in the average daily crime rate, from 168 incidents to just 86.

The eight focus crimes are murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, car theft, and motorcycle theft.

The Visayas recorded the highest drop in crime incidents at 52 percent, or from 6,447 to 3,115. Luzon with 49 percent, or from 13,410 to 6,778; followed by Mindanao with 44 percent, or from 5,313 to 2,954.

Eleazar said vehicle theft and motorcycle theft registered the biggest decline at 71 percent (from 182 cases to 53 cases) and 69 percent (from 1,615 cases to 498), respectively.

Robbery cases dropped by 63 percent from 3,874 cases to 1,431 cases while theft cases decline by 62 percent, from 8,334 to 3,177.

Cases of physical injury posted a 38-percent drop, from 4,357 to 2,690 while rape cases were down by 28 percent, from 3,584 to 2,572.

Homicide cases also dropped by 28 percent (from 663 to 477) while murder cases decreased by 25 percent, from 2,591 to 1,949.

Eleazar attributed the significant decline to the visibility of policemen on checkpoints and in the community in the enforcement of the quarantine rules.

He added that the strict implementation of curfew through the ordinances of the local government units is also a big help.

“Our Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Gen. Archie Gamboa also made sure that our regular law enforcement functions will not be sacrificed even if a number of police personnel were deployed to perform duties related to the prevention of the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19),” said Eleazar.

Eleazar said the continuous focus on crime prevention is manifested by a number of operations against illegal drug personalities, operations to arrested wanted persons, dismantling of criminal syndicates and the daily call for assistance to respond to criminal activities.

“While the community quarantine has caused a lesser opportunity for the criminal elements to strike, your PNP made sure that those who are allowed to go out to work and buy essential goods are also protected with our police visibility and strategic community deployment,” said Eleazar.