We have always felt our city is one of the safest in the country, at least in the past decade. The city police office has consistently reported a low crime rate in the past years and this has led us to trust the peace and security pronouncements by officials. Unfortunately, this state of security which has lulled us to complacency seems to be going downhill.
A new survey released by the University of Mindanao’s Institute of Popular Opinion, showed that there is a decreasing sense of security felt by Davaoenos, particularly in the 2nd and 3rd district. Since the high profile case involving the death of Vlance Bragas on May 17, this year. The survey was conducted from June 7 to 13 2022, to check people’s perception on the city’s current security and safety. There were 1,200 respondents in the three districts of the city, and a sampling set at 95% confidence level and 2.5% margin of error.
Consider this: 6 out of 10 respondents said they feel unsafe while walking during night time. At daytime, 8 out of 10 felt they were safe walking in the city. With the rise of companies that employ night shift workers, this is a disturbing concept. What can be done to assure them of their safety going home or reporting for work during these ungodly hours?
As for the CCTV cameras that could monitor and record what has happened, 7 out of 10 responded that they were insufficient and only 3 of 10 Davaoenos (29.3%) said they were sufficient. The CCTV may not deter crime but these could at least provide evidence or help in resolving a case.
On security monitoring of police and military personnel, 6 out of 10 said it is insufficient with Districts 2 and 3 expressing a higher degree of insufficiency than District 1. A dismal 4 out of 10 feel that there is enough police patrolling in their area.
A bright not on this survey is the perceived performance of 911 with 75.9% respondents saying it is responsive to emergency situations on security and safety.
This quick survey was conducted to gauge how safe we feel in the past months and should be taken seriously by authorities. Citizens need to be assured that measures are being done to curb this creeping perception that our city has become unsafe for our children.
