3,629 fewer crimes in CV: police
Despite 4% increase in murder cases
POLICE observed a drop in crimes in Central Visayas in the first 11 months of 2016, with around 3,600 fewer crimes.
The crime volume fell to 46,303 from last year’s 49,932, according to crime statistics kept by the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7.
This is a decrease of 7.3 percent.
Index crimes fell to 13,619 from last year’s 17,619, showing a difference of 4,081 crime incidents. Non-index crimes increased to 32,684 incidents compared to 32,232 in 2015, showing an increase of 452 incidents.
3,629 fewer crimes in CV: police
Index crimes are those committed against persons and properties, while non-index crimes are violations of special laws, such as those against illegal drugs, gambling, and loose firearms.
Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, the PRO 7 director, said the tougher drive against drugs since July caused the decrease in the crime volume, but caused a slight increase in the nonindex crimes following the arrests of drug personalities and armed persons.
“Nakikita na natin ang (We are starting to see the) impact because of the reduction of the crime rate,” he said.
Police visited 308,661 houses from July to Dec. 8 in 2016. In the same period, 91,856 junkies and pushers surrendered, while 4,306 others were arrested.
From July 1 until Dec. 21 in 2016, at least 219 suspected drug pushers were killed by unidentified assailants, most of whom rode in tandem on a motorcycle when ex- ecuting their targets.
Police killed 149 suspected drug pushers in legitimate operations in the same period.
Taliño had said they do not deploy their own officers to act as vigilantes, adding that there were solved cases where the suspects were identified members of drug groups.
The average monthly crime rate fell to 68.19 incidents from 74.94 in 2015.
From January to November in 2015, police recorded an average monthly index crime rate of 26.56, but this dropped to 20.06 in the same period this year, a 24 percent decrease.
Theft, robbery, and physical injuries still remain the most rampant index crimes in the region.
Cases of homicide, physical injuries, rape, theft, carnapping and cattle rustling also dropped last year.
A nearly four percent increase was noted in murder with 532 incidents in January to November, compared to 513 incidents in the same months in 2015.
Taliño attributed the increase in murder cases to the deaths of suspected drug personalities.
For the first 11 months of 2016, theft cases reached 6,323, robbery cases, 2,414; and physical injury cases 3,059.
In the same period in 2015, there were 8,789 theft cases, 3,454 robbery cases, and 3,351 physical injury cases.
Homicide dropped to 91 from 132 in 2015.
In 2016, the car theft incidents dropped to 706 from 867 the previous year.
In the previous year, there were 532 rape cases, but that fell to 476 in 2016. Police recorded 18 cattle rustling cases in the newly ended year, a drop of 44 cases from 62 in 2015.
The Cebu Provincial Police Office posted the highest crime volume in Central Visayas, with 16,968 for the first 11 months.
The Cebu City Police Office followed with a total crime volume of 10,420 and third highest crime volume was recorded in Bohol with 7,507.
The Mandaue City Police Office recorded a crime volume of 6,993 incidents; Lapu-Lapu with 4,151; and Siquijor, 264.