Police ask public support in fight against crime

THE crime volume in Central Visayas went down and the police need the support of the public to maintain it, a ranking police official said.

Senior Supt. Louie Oppus said the public plays a vital role in maintaining peace and order.

Oppus said policemen are not “supermen.”

“Tao din kami, may pamilya din kami at nagkakamali din kami (We’re also humans, we have families and we commit mistakes),” said Oppus, deputy regional director for operations of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas, who spoke before the participants of the 6th Cebu Regional Retail Conference held at Radisson Blu Hotel yesterday.

Oppus encouraged the retailers not to give the criminals a chance to commit crime against them.

Oppus said last year’s crime rate in Central Visayas has significantly decreased.

In a comparative research by the PRO-7, the crime volume from January-May 2011, which involved 11,207 cases, decreased to 9,139 or an 18.5 percent decrease.

“We here in Central Visayas are really enjoying a downtrend of crime,” Oppus said.

In the research, index crimes (crimes committed against person and property) had also generally decreased.

Physical injuries decreased by 24%; murder decreased by 16.9%; and homicide also decreased by 29.9%

“It is a good sign for business,” Oppus said.

The research further revealed that there was a

10.2 % increase in rape cases for the past year. Oppus didn’t elaborate the increase.

The study also indicated a higher crime solution and clearance percentage.

Crime solution, where the police already know the perpetrator, the facts, and cases have been filed in court but the perpetrators have not been arrested yet, increased from 26.5% to 33.6%

On crime clearance, where the police has identified the perpetrators and had them jailed rose from 35.7% to 45.6%

Oppus also announced the creation of the Regional Anti-Cyber Crime Unit of Region 7, which, according to him has the latest equipments that are not even found in some police offices in the US./CORRESPONDENT JOSE SANTINO S. BONACHITA