CRIMINALS ON VACATION

CRIME INCIDENCE HIGHEST IN MASBATE
CamNorte posts biggest decline in crime volume among provinces
By Jonas Cabiles Soltes

DAET, Camarines Norte --- The police office in this province has posted the highest decline in reported crime volume among the seven police offices in Bicol.

Crime volume is the aggregate number of reported crimes.

There is one police office in each of the six provinces of Bicol Region. Naga, an independent component city of Camarines Sur, has its own police office.

In a comparative report submitted by the Camarines Norte Police Office (CNPO) to Gov. Edgardo Tallado, it is shown that CNPO posted only 600 crime incidents from January to June 2011, or 39.69 percent down from the 995 incidents reported in the same period last year.

The police office in the island province of Catanduanes also posted a sharp decrease in crime volume, with 305 crime incidents by midyear compared to the 561 incidents in the same period last year or a decrease by 45.63 percent.

It was followed by the police office in Camarines Sur which posted 683 crime incidents by June 2011, 24.44 percent less than the figures in the same period in 2010.

Naga City Police Office, meanwhile, posted 18.03 percent drop in crime volume, from 876 from January to June last year to 718 crime incidents during the same period this year.

Sorsogon Police Office also posted a decrease in the number of crime incidents. From 546 incidents from January to June 2010, the figures are down to 458 in the same period this year or a decrease of 16.11 percent.

Masbate, on the other hand, posted the highest increase in crime volume by midyear with 1,154 crime incidents, up by 23. 68 percent from 933 incidents reported in the first half of last year.

It was followed by Albay with 1,609 crime incidents by midyear, also up by 9.30 percent from 1,472 incidents reported in the same period last year.

Camarines Norte Governor Edgardo Tallado attributed the decrease in the crime volume of the province to the presence of an anti-crime task force that goes after illegal operations including drug trade.

“Drug-use is related to crime so curbing illegal drug trade sharply reduces crime incidents,” said Tallado, who is also the chairman of the regional peace and order council in Bicol.

He said he would talk with other governors of the Bicol Region to encourage them to establish anti-crime task force in their respective local government units.

“Each task force will be composed of joint elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Philippine Army, Department of the Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine National Police,” he said.

Meanwhile, the municipal government of Daet, the capital town of Camarines Norte, also reported a 96.11 percent crime solution efficiency rate.

Out of the 257 crime incidents reported from July 2010 to June 2011, 79 crime incidents were solved, 60 were cleared, 55 were amicably settled, 25 were referred to other government agencies, 25 were closed, while 10 were still under investigation, said a report from the Daet Police Station.

In other words, the evil doers in Daet took a vacation from January to June while those in Masbate preferred to stay in their VERY OWN home town.