Based on data from the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), there were a total 31 criminal incidents recorded in the city last week, between January 5 and 11, which is a reduction from the 82 recorded during a similar period in the prior year.

The drop constitutes a 62 percent drop.

“Maximum police visibility and [the] long-term planning of security measures for big events such as Dinagyang have contributed to the decrease in criminality,” said ICPO operations chief, Police Superintendent Jowel Saliba.

Earlier, a 53 percent drop in the crime rate was reported in the previous week, which included New Year celebrations and spanned from December 30 to January 5.

ICPO operations and planning deputy chief, Police Inspector Mercylin Duero, said contributing factors to the reduction in crime included “proper deployment” of law enforcement, increased patrols, and regular inspections of officers on duty./PLL, WDJ