Murders in Colombia’s second city Medellin have reduced by at least 34% so far this year, the national police announced on Sunday.
There have been 480 fewer homicides in Medellin in 2012 compared with the same time period in 2011, showing a reduction of 34% to this date.
The city’s public authorities have arrested 16,854 people in the act of committing a crime and 1,668 by court order, reported news site El Colombiano.
Added to this, 536 kilos of cocaine, 147 kilos of crack cocaine, and 9,780 kilos of marijuana have been seized so far this year.
The Day of Love and Friendship, traditionally a day of public order problems in Medellin, passed Saturday with improved security in relation to the holiday day of the previous year. There were three fewer murders than 2011 and 615 brawls were diffused by police without problems.
The police report recognized the presidential program for public safety and policy development for citizen security as a major contributor to the decline in homicides.