BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
Crime incidents in Bacolod City increased by at least 10 percent in the first seven months of the year compared to the same period last year, the police admitted yesterday.
From January to July this year, the Bacolod City Police recorded 789 crime incidents from 717 in the same period last year.
It added that 173 focus crimes, that include murder, homicide, rape, robbery, theft, carnapping, motorcycle theft, and physical injuries, were recorded as of July this year from 161 last year, or an increase of 7.4 percent.
BCPO spokesperson, P/Major Sherlock Gabana, said that strategies to lower crime incidents in the city are now in place.
Gabana warned the public against more crime occurrences because August is considered a “ghost month”, adding that everyone should be vigilant and avoid being complacent.
He said that one should refrain from displaying gadgets, jewelries, and other valuables while in public, and house doors must always be locked.
Gabana added that it would be better to place warning devices, even improvised ones, so that house occupants will be alerted when there are intruders.
DRUG HAUL
Station 8 policemen, led by P/Major Joery Puerto, seized about P183,600 worth of suspected shabu, weighing about 27 grams, in a drug buy-bust operation in Sitio Magsungay, Brgy. Singcang-Airport, Bacolod, at about 6 p.m. Sunday.
Puerto said the operation led to the arrest of two street level individuals he identified as Willyzer Colanggo, alias “Weser”, 33, of Purok 6 in Magsungay, and Joseph Gonzales, alias “Banong”, 46, of Paglaum Village, Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod.
He said the two were arrested after they attempted to sell a sachet of suspected shabu to a poseur buyer in exchange for P500. Three more sachets of “shabu” were recovered after their arrest, the police added.*
