Do you feel safe?
This is a question many netizens are asking on social media, especially in the light of the recent crimes that have happened in Dumaguete and the neighboring areas.
We had about three shooting incidents in Dumaguete involving people who were later reportedly under surveillance for drugs or some other illegal activities.
Then we had the holdup of a couple along San Juan St., where the robbers, who did not even bother to wear masks, got away with P1.2 million and other personal effects.
Then there was news of the rape and murder of an eight-year-old in barangay Bajumpandan.
And just this week was the brutal murder of a husband and wife in Boloc-boloc, Sibulan, by a person who got angry because of the couple’s refusal to loan him money.
For all these crimes, only the last one has been considered solved with the arrest of the suspect, who also confessed to the crime.
The others still have big question marks as to when the “lucky break” will come during the investigation.
It does not require a genius to figure out that the police are only as effective as the information they have.
They check out leads supplied by tipsters, and evaluate the information supplied to see if it would help solve the crime. It is not the police who solves crimes; it is the community that does.
The biggest challenge, however, is not solving crimes; it is preventing crimes from happening.
There are many things a person can do to help prevent crime. To prevent thefts, one can ensure that his surroundings are clear and free of objects, like junk vehicles, where questionable characters could hide.
On our own, we can also install more lights outside our houses, strengthen our perimeter fences, or get guard dogs. Police call this “target hardening”.
Criminals shun areas that are bright and well-protected, as they prefer the anonymity of doing things in the dark.
Our community could also organize or participate in sporting events to keep the people busy with productive things. Idle minds, they say, are the devil’s workshop.
Businesses should place CCTVs in their establishments. More and more businesses are doing so, and we have also seen a rise in the number of crimes solved because of the images captured by these cameras.
There are many things one can do to feel and be safe. If we want a peaceful to live in, we can do a lot in making our community so.
