Crime incidents in Bacolod City decreased by 52.73 percent from January to November last year compared to the same period in 2010 with a crime efficiency of 50.66 percent, City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz said.

Police records show that only 2,073 crime incidents were recorded within 11 months last year, while there were 3,931 in 2010.

Index crime incidents from January to November 2011 totaled only 884 last year while there were 2,903 incidents in the same period in 2010 or a drop of 71.17 percent, De la Paz also said.         

There were 974 non-index crimes recorded last year while 1,028 incidents were recorded in the same period in 2010.

Most crime incidents in the city were those perpetrated by individuals or personalities based locally, and no bank robberies were reported, Dela Paz said.

He attributed the downward trend of criminality in Bacolod to the effective and focused crime prevention programs of the BCPO and the reinvigorated Police Integrated Patrol System

Aside from enforcing the laws and ordinances of the city, the BCPO was able to collect P2,252,075 from violators of traffic laws, ordinances and other services from January to December 2011.

There were also 1,042 persons arrested for illegal gambling last year and only 370 in 2010. The city police also arrested 201 wanted personalities last year while only 145 wanted personalities were nabbed in 2010.

Meanwhile, the number of loose guns recovered by the Bacolod City Police last year is 6.98 percent higher than that of 2010, police records showed yesterday.

BCPO personnel confiscated 92 unlicensed guns from 98 persons they arrested in 79 operations last year, while they seized only 86 loose firearms from 104 persons they apprehended in 87 operations.

De la Paz said they will intensify their campaign against unlicensed guns until Bacolod becomes an unlicensed firearm-free city.

Firearms Explosives Security and Guards Section head, Chief Insp. Noel Polines also said that a total of 5,393 gun owners in Bacolod City failed to renew their licenses this year.

Polines said the FESAGS had written to these gun owners asking them to renew their licenses. Copies of the letters were furnished the police stations in Bacolod City.

The Philippine National Police estimates that there are, at least, 600,000 unlicensed firearms in the country that could potentially be used to commit crimes.*APN

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