Baguio crime rate dips by 47%

SAFE AND SOUND in the City of Pines. The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) has reported a 47% dip in crime volume from January to November of 2017, a vast improvement from the same months of the previous year.

According to a report from city police chief, Sr. Supt. Ramil Saculles, the total crime volume totaled to 3,220 incidents, a whopping 2,857 less from the 6,077 of 2016.

Index crimes decreased by 70%, and non-index crimes by 33%, said Saculles.

“The collaborative efforts of the BCPO and support of different stakeholders in the implementation of anti-criminality plans and strategies resulted in the significant decrease of index crimes,” he said.

While theft is still the top crime reported in Baguio, Saculles was pleased to report a 76% decrease in robbery cases for the measured period.

For crimes against persons, physical injuries still topped the list, but had a 50% decrease. Homicide cases, dipped from 22 cases in 2016 to 13 this year. The 11 months saw only two incidents of murder: a 90% drop.

Saculles lauded and thanked those “who exerted a deliberate and pragmatic crime prevention and control for the improvement of peace and order situation of the city.”

He also attributed Baguio’s gains in Peace and Order to the ramped up implementation of Oplan Rizal and Cross Rider, Project Tower (anti-pickpocket campaign), Motorcycle Response Teams, and the use of Geographic Information System-Based Crime Analysis (GIS-BCA).

Saculles emphasized that the significant reduction of crimes in Baguio City is due to a collaborative effort between public and private sectors, spanning contributions in “moral, spiritual and even financial support.”

via Philippine News Agency / Liza Agoot