Crime down 26%

THE total crime volume in Davao City significantly dropped by 26.3 percent (%) or 2,019 from January to August this year with 5,634 compared to 7,653 of the same period in 2016.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, in her State of the City Address (Soca) yesterday at the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), lauded the relentless and collaborative efforts of law enforcement units in Davao City in fighting

crimes to sustain the prevailing peace and order of the city.

"This can be attributed to the synergy between the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and other PNP (Philippine National Police) and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) groups in the city," Duterte-Carpio said.

The mayor also credited the accomplishment through the full implementation of the Oplan Integrated Revitalized Operation of Neighborhood Watch of the Mega City or Oplan Iron City, which is a joint effort of cops and volunteer police auxiliaries to safeguard the safety and security of the public round the clock.

Police visibility and security monitoring in vital facilities also contributed in the decline of crimes as more cops were deployed in strategic places to provide security coverage such as static post, foot, bike, mobile, and combat patrol.

DCPO have undertaken several anti-criminality operations such as Oplan Bulabog, Oplan Lambat Bitag and Oplan Double Barrel, among others.

DCPO intensified the campaign against illegal gambling in accordance to R.A. 9287 and P.D. 1602. In the second semester of 2016, 40 operations were conducted with 148 persons arrested and all 40 cases were filed. Various pieces of evidence including bet money amounting to P 22,904 were confiscated. In the first semester of 2017, 139 operations were conducted with 268 persons arrested and all 139 cases were filed. The bet money confiscated amounted to P40,150.

In line with "Kontra Boga" or the campaign against loose firearms in accordance to RA 10591, 118 operations were conducted - four persons voluntarily surrendered totaling to 72 persons arrested and 102 loose firearms (low powered firearms and high powered firearms) confiscated.

In the first semester of 2017, 35 operations were conducted. Two persons voluntarily surrendered totaling to 38 persons arrested and 38 loose firearms confiscated.

The average monthly crime rate (AMCR) of 44.6 per 100,000 population from the period July to December 2016 was also noted while the period of January to June 2017 indicated an AMCR of 43.94 per 100,000 population

Oplan "Lambat BitagSasakyan" Operation In June 2017, DCPO participated in the first operation of Oplan "Lambat Bitag-Sasakyan" jointly undertaken by multi-agency traffic enforcers led by the Land Transportation (LTO) 11 to impound undocumented or delinquent vehicles. The operation was conducted on major roads of Davao City, with a total of 433 vehicles impounded and Temporary Operators Permit (TOP) issued to 1,218 erring drivers.

With the recent commemoration of the Roxas Night Maekrt Blast last September 2, the mayor commended the Task Force Davao (TFD) for their anti-terrorism effort to ensure that there would be no repeat of the bombing incident that claimed the lives of 15 individuals and injured 69 others.

"For anti-terrorism, thank you to the men and women of the Task Force Davao, no bombing incident was recorded from the period of September 3, 2016 to September 3, 2017," she said.

Drug rehabilitation Meanwhile, the city has been proactive in stepping up community-based drug rehabilitation with its Tabangan Atong Reformists Aron Naa'y Asenso (Tara Na) under Davao City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Cadac) that was launched November 18 last year to help drug reformists rehabilitate.

"This is a Davao City community-based rehabilitation after-care program to start revitalizing the life of our surrenderees," DuterteCarpio added.

Drug screening and profiling were conducted in 33 barangays of District 3 from April to June 2017 and as a result, 917 reformists were recorded and enrolled in Tara Na CBRAP.

The new drug rehabilitation center is located in Malagos, Baguio District. The groundbreaking ceremony was held last December 7, 2016 that was attended by the mayor along with personnel from the Department of Health, Resorts World Manila and Davao City Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Drug Dependents (DCTRCDD). Construction of the DCTRCDD is ongoing and will be completed on December 7. JCR