A dampener from Davide
The Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) has released a comparative report from January to July this year that showed the crime volume in the province dropping by nearly 12 percent this year when ranged against that of the same period this year. The problem for the CPPO, however, is that cold statistics often gets downplayed by mere perception.
Besides, there’s the matter of interpretation, which is why a declaration of a dip in the crime volume needs to be explained at length. Volume refers to quantity and not to magnitude. Sensational crimes attract more attention than the minor ones, and these stick to the mind longer. People are concerned only with minor crimes when the number is exceedingly large.
This is why the positive aspect of the CPPO comparative report on the crime index in the province easily got dampened by Gov. Hilario Davide III asking for updates in the investigations on the killing of Lagtang councilor Art Stephen Bas and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 agent Von Rian Tecson.
Those incidents became high profile not only because of the social status of those killed but also for their brutality and the controversy blanketing the killings. The suspicion that law enforcers themselves were behind them and the other similar cases in Cebu City made sure these would be publicly discussed and recalled.
The lowering of the crime volume could prove the effectiveness of crime prevention efforts of concerned police units. But crime solution can also be a deterrent. That is why the police should not be partial to crime prevention but must also give attention to cracking incidents of criminality to give credence to the saying, “crime does not pay.”
CPPO Chief Manuel Abrugena said in response to Davide’s query that they are “gaining headway” in the investigation of the Bas and Tecson cases. We hope this is not an empty claim meant only to deflect criticisms on the seemingly slow pace of the investigation.
Solving even only the two cases will surely have an impact on people’s perception of the peace and order situation in the province.