Focus crimes decrease during quarantine period —PNP data

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday said it has recorded a 59% decrease in focus crimes during the quarantine period, or 4,479 crimes which are  lower compared to the 11,004 pre-lockdown.

Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar said the data covers murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft and theft of motor cycles, which the PNP considers as focus crimes.

According to the data, 727 murder incidents were recorded from March 17 to May 27. The data indicated that the number of murder cases went down by 41% as a total of 1,235 slays were recorded from January 5 to March 16, the period in which there was no quarantine yet.

Incidents of rape also decreased by 51% as 673 were recorded during the quarantine period while a total of 1,383 were recorded from January 5 to March 16.

Police data also showed a decrease when it comes to theft incidents. From 3,730 cases, the number significantly went down to 1,143.

Robbery cases also went down by 68% as from 1,764, the PNP listed 556 cases since the quarantine period started.

The decrease on the number of other focus crimes are as follows:
Homicide - 195 from 297 (34% decrease)
Physical Injury - 1,038 from 1,747 (41% decrease)
Carnap MC - 137 from 771 (82% decrease)
Carnap MV - 10 from 77 (87% decrease)

In the last 72 days, the PNP also recorded a total of 184,467 violators in which 55,659 were arrested; 107,199 were warned; and 21,609 were fined by law enforcers.

The PNP has been tapped by the government to strictly enforce the guidelines of the quarantine.

PNP chief Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa has warned the public that violators will be immediately arrested, noting that no warning will be made when they commit violations.

Later in the day, President Rodrigo Duterte is set to announce the status of the community quarantines after May 31. —LDF, GMA News