Crimes down by 77% since ECQ imposition

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Zero robbery. No incident of riding-in-tandem killing. Lesser traffic incidents.

If there’s a benefit of placing Iloilo City under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), it is the peace and order aspect.

From March 21 until March 30, 2020, the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) recorded a 77.78 percent decrease in cases of eight focus crimes – murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, and carnapping/ motorcycle theft.

The ICPO only recorded six incidents – four physical injuries and two theft cases.

For the same period last year, ICPO recorded 27 incidents.

Police also noted a decrease in the number of violation of special laws (50 percent) and other non-index crimes (60 percent).

Police Captain Shella Mae Sangrines, ICPO spokesperson, said the biggest decrease is in the number of vehicular incidents.

From 176 vehicular incidents in March 2019, the cases dropped to 15 incidents, or a reduction of 91.48 percent.

Meanwhile, the total crime volume also decreased by 61.66 percent – from 226 cases to only 91 this year.