Theft and robbery lead top crimes in Cebu City anew

Theft, robbery, and physical injuries remain the most prevalent crimes in Cebu City.

Based on data from the Cebu City Police Office, from the period July 2016 to May 2017; the top three most common crimes are theft with 2,100 incidents, robbery with 631, and physical injuries with 654.

This is the same as the period from July 2015 to May 2016, showed theft with 2,927 incidents, robbery with 924, and physical injuries with 790.

According to CCPO Spokesman Chief Inspector Ramoncelio Sawan the top three petty crimes are common because the highly urbanized areas of Cebu City present tempting targets to criminals.

“Ang pinakataas nga volume sa Cebu City is theft, robbery and physical injuries, mao gihapon ni siya, sa nilabay nga tuig, pero ang deperensya, significantly lower ni siya, sa nilabay nga tuig. Usually naa ni mahitabo sa mga malls, mga shoplifting, naa pud mga theft sa malls and akyat bahay,” Sawan said.

He advised the public to stay vigilant and not give lawless elements opportunities to commit crime.

Meanwhile, CCPO Director Senior Superintendent Joel Doria claimed that the 12-percent increase of the crime volume in the city is a positive development as criminals are being pursued as the result of the proactive campaign against illegal drugs.

The crime volume of Cebu City from July 2015 to June 2016, recorded 10,867 crimes, while the July 2016 to June 2017 period recorded 12,189 crimes, or an increase of 12 percent.

SIMULTANEOUS REHAB

The Department of Health-7 will conduct a unified and simultaneous Community Barangay Treatment (CBT) in all the barangays in the region as part of the drug rehabilitation and clearing operations intended for all drug surenderers.

The CBT implementation will run for three to four months to monitor the surrenderers through counseling and evaluation assessment to assure that they will not return to using drugs.

San Remigio, Cebu, which has 27 barangays, has completed the CBT with 1,441 surrenderers and 821 have graduated. Those 821 will receive a certification of completion and will proceed to phase 2 of the program where they can avail of the different livelihood programs and opportunities from the local government units.

Doctor Dino Caing, head of the Dangerous and Abuse Prevention and Treatment and NonCommunicable Disease Section of DOH-7, said surrenderers who were not able to make it will again undergo CBT, be reviewed, and get counseling again.

"Kadtong mahibal-an nga naggamit gihapon kay hatagan nato og chance nga mo-undergo balik aning treatment nato but until tulo ra ka chances atoang mahatag. Kun sa ikatulo dili gihapon, ma-strike out na g'yud ni siya unya kinahanglan na g'yud ni siya for rehabilitation na g'yud," Caing said.

DRUG FUN RUN

Meanwhile, the Bogo police led by Police Chief Byron Allatog conducted a fun run in cooperation with the local government unit for the empowerment of the drug surrenderees of the city last Sunday morning.

The “Dagan Kontra-Druga,” was joined by at least 740 participants including the 200 policemen from the different police stations in Cebu Province led by Police Regional Office-7 Director Chief Superintendent Jose Mario Espino.

At least 290 drug surrenderers joined the fun run.

The main goal of the program was to empower surrenderers, the community, and the local government in their shared responsibility towards the rehabilitation and reintegration of the surrenderers.

All the 29 barangays of Bogo City have already been confirmed and verified by the Regional Oversight Committee as having drug-cleared status making it the first drug-cleared city in the region.

During the said event, Espino also unveiled the drug-cleared barangay markers which will be put in each barangay in Bogo.

The markers read: Drug pushers of shabu are not welcome in this barangay.

The fun run had 5k and 12k categories; the 5k run was from Barangay Cogon to Barangay Libertad, while the 12k was from Barangay Cogon to Barangay Marangog.