Police forces throughout the Zamboanga Peninsula have significantly decrease their crime solution efficiency by 5.23% during the first two months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, according to the Police Regional Office 9.

In its report to the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC-9), the regional police command said from January to February 2021 it had 87.68% crime solution efficiency, but from January to February 2022 the CSE was only 82.45%.

The police also reported a 3.09 crime clearance efficiency, from 99.93% last year to 96.84%.

This year’s first two months also recorded 156 total crime volume, of which rape accounted for the highest with 38 cases or 24% of the total, same as last year with 70 cases of 30% of the total 237 crimes.

Meanwhile, the regional police have placed under moderate (Level 2) the terrorism threat level in Zamboanga City and Isabela City, wherein terrorist attack is a possibility but not likely to happen.

While the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay are placed under low threat (Level 1), where there was no information to suggest classified and imminent terrorist attack for the period.

However, the police have recommended a high terrorism alert (Level 3) to better prepare the law enforcers in case of terrorist attacks, especially during the election period. Mayor Beng Climaco, chair of the RPOC-9, stressed that for Zamboanga City she would prefer the police and all other security forces to be on high alert (Level 3) to deny the enemy the opportunity to conduct terrorist activities.-(Vic Larato)