- Q1 records show drop in incidents on DCPO’s ‘eight focus crimes’
THE DAVAO City Police Office (DCPO) noted a significant decrease in crime incidents for the first quarter of this year.
Data showed a 36% drop in the eight focus crimes recorded from January to March 15 this year compared to the same period in 2023. The DCPO logged 46 incidents— a significant departure from the 72 cases recorded in January to March 15 last year.
The eight focus crimes refer to rape, murder, homicide, robbery, theft, physical injury, carnapping, and motorcycle theft. Of these, sexual assault had the highest difference with a 59% decrease (from 29 cases to 12).
The DCPO reported 828 total crime incidents for the same duration this year which shows a 5% decrease from the 871 incidents recorded for the corresponding period in 2023.
The city’s Peace and Order Indicator also improved. According to the DCPO, the totality of index and non-index crimes for the same period in 2024 was 608, which was 11% lower than the 682 cases logged last year.
Outgoing DCPO director Col. Alberto Lupaz attributed the trend to their “strict implementation of Patrol Rehiyon Onse, crime prevention initiatives, and anti-criminality programs”
Some of the actively enforced security programs of the DCPO include the community outreach and anti-terrorism program Oplan Kalinaw; the anti-theft patrol and surveillance initiative Oplan R.A.T.S. (Robbery, Akyat Bahay, Theft, Snatching) Tugis; and the community-based rape prevention and education campaign Oplan Kilos.
Other anti-criminality programs currently enforced are the DCPO’s proactive campaigns against illegal drugs, wanted persons, loose firearms, and illegal gambling.
