DAVAO ORIENTAL— Crime rate in the province has significantly dropped this year, Davao Oriental Police Provincial Office (DOPPO) Police Community Relations Officer PSUPT Ariel Nueva said during the Kapihan Sang Kapitolyo September 12 at the Provincial Capitol Grand Conference Room.
In the third quarter, “index crime” which is defined by the police as those crimes which are serious in nature, has decreased by 37%, with only 52 cases recorded this year compared to 141 cases last year.
Also, 49% decrease was noted in the first quarter with only 76 cases in 2018 from 155 in 2017. In the second quarter, index crime decreased by 51% with only 68 cases in 2018 from 133 cases in 2017.
Nueva said the significant decrease of index crime is attributed to the Managing Police Operations (MPO) implemented by DOPPO in accordance to Community and Service-oriented Policing (CSOP) system. In coordination with the Local Government Units (LGUs) and the communities, the police address the root causes of crimes to prevent it from recurring.
“MPO, this is the quad concept to solve, to prevent crimes: Investigation, intelligence, Police Community Relations or PCR, and the operation. These are the four sections of DOPPO to solve the crime. Example, if there was robbery; the investigation section will conduct investigation to solve the crime while the PCR will investigate why someone would commit robbery. That’s why the PCR goes to different agencies, LGU and even NGAs to address the basic services or needs of the affected so that no one will commit robbery again. The PCR looks for the root causes of the crime in consonance to CSOP,” he said.
In observance of the 24th National Crime Prevention Week on September 1-7, the DOPPO conducted activities which are anchored on CSOP, Nueva said.
“During the Crime Prevention Week, the DOPPO conducted activities as mandated by CSOP—to be a community and service-oriented agency responsible for the maintenance of peace and order and public safety,” he added.
Some of the activities held province-wide during the week-long celebration are: distribution of leaflets; house, barangay, and school visitation; hanging of streamer and establishing of Police assistance desk; implementation of anti-loitering; creation of crime prevention committee in schools and barangay, among many others.
Meanwhile, City Prosecutor Fiscal Oliver Saniel, who is one of the resource person during the “Kapihan”, said that crime can be prevented through strengthened participation between the police, the community, and the government.
“Crime prevention is everybody’s concern. I think we can prevent crime if we help each other, community and the government, especially when it comes to educating the people, the young people. And it’s really important that social services are delivered to the communities so that factors that drive a person to commit a crime will be eliminated,” Saniel said.
