SAN FERNANDO CITY, Mar. 21 (PIA) -- The Police Regional Office 1 (PRO1) reported a decrease in the number of crimes in the region.
Based on the comparative crime incident report of the PRO1 presented during the Regional Peace and Order Council Meeting held on Thursday, the total crime incidents registered from January 1 to March 13 this year reduced by 477, or 23 percent, when compared to the same time last year.
Some 2,082 crime incidents reported in 2021 had declined to 1,605 this year.
According to PCol Charlie Umayam, chief of the Regional Operations Division, this significant improvement is a result of the PRO1’s intensified drive against criminality.
“The 23 percent decrease is attributed to the intensified campaign on anti-criminality manifested through the establishment of checkpoints, roving patrols, and arrest of wanted persons, as well as the various Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operations,” Umayam said.
This year, most of the cases were noted in Pangasinan with 1,049 incidents which were 350 lesser than that of the same period in 2021; followed by Ilocos Sur with 248 which declined by 35 cases; La Union with 179 cases which had decreased by 23 incidents; and 129 crime reports in Ilocos Norte which were down by 69 reports.
The Anti-Criminality Updates on Region 1 was presented by the Police Regional Office 1 through PCol Charlie Umayam, the chief of the Regional Operations Division, during the Regional Peace and Order Council Meeting virtually held on March 17, 2022.
Further, 538 wanted persons were arrested in the region this year wherein two were tagged as the top most wanted person with rewards from the Department of the Interior and Local Government; 143 were on the list of the most wanted persons without reward; and 393 other wanted personalities.
Also, the Ilocos police conducted a total of 209 operations on anti-illegal gambling which resulted to the arrest of 1,215 individuals and the confiscation of pieces of evidence amounting to Php710,213.60.
On the other hand, PRO1 implemented 168 Anti-Illegal Drugs Operations which led to the arrest of 188 drug personalities while 49 personalities surrendered through the Oplan Tokhang. These resulted to the confiscation of 143 grams of shabu and 3,389 grams of Marijuana with combined standard drug price of Php1,380,067.52.
Marijuana eradication operations were also undertaken by PRO1 that yielded to the confiscation of fully grown marijuana plants and dried stalks amounting to Php4,115,000.
Meanwhile, Umayam said PRO1 remains relentless on its monitoring especially on areas of possible intense political rivalries in view of the upcoming national and local elections. (JCR/JPD/CGC, PIA Region 1)
