PRO-7 reports 1% drop in CV’s crime rate for Jan to May 2024

The uniformed personnel of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7). | Photo from PRO-7

CEBU CITY, Philippine – The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) reported a one percent drop in the crime for the first five months of 2024 or for the months of January to May.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, the PRO-7 spokesperson, said that anti-crime measures that they implemented, especially their intensified campaign against all forms of criminalities and police visibility in public places, worked.

In fact, policemen in the region arrested at least 11, 000 law breakers during the same period.  These figures already include the around 3, 000 drug suspects who were arrested from January to June this year. They also confiscated P600 million worth of illegal drugs during the same period.

READ: Yearender 2023: The biggest crime stories in Cebu

Still, Pelare said that so much remains to be done, especially in their fight against illegal drugs.

“The challenge sa illegal drugs, naa pa gihapon. But if you are going to ask us if we are improving? Yes, we are. Because 62% of the barangays in Central Visayas are now declared as [drug] cleared by PDEA and other agencies,” Pelare said in a press conference on Tuesday.

READ: With ‘support of community,’ crime rate continues to drop in CV 

Pelare said it is a good thing that they are now headed towards the right direction and that all their efforts are paying off.

Crime Rate

Pelare’s report on the one percent drop in the crime rate was generated from PRO-7’s computer based crime reporting program.

READ: Crime rate in CV dropped 40% during Kalag-Kalag 2023 – police

Their system recorded the commission of eight index crimes.  These are murder, homicide, rape, physical injury, theft, robbery, carnapping, and motor-napping.

“Kini nga mga krimen, ning-ubos ni siya for the period. Siguro ang makita man gud sa mga tawo is kaning what is being posted online. Naa pud tay challenge gamay sa mga crimes nga gihimo online, scams, kini ang naay mga swindling online. Mao ni, ni taas taas gamay but the index crimes or the focus crimes remain very manageable and very, very low,” Pelare said.