PNP: Index crimes drop nationwide in 2017

All regions in the country recorded a significant decline in index crimes such as murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft and carnapping, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said yesterday.

In a statement, the PNP said a 20.56-percent reduction in index crimes was recorded from January to October as compared to the same period last year.

PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Dionardo Carlos, however, said the Southern Tagalog and Northern Mindanao regions posted slight increases in crime volume during the first 10 months of the year despite the overall 8.44-percent drop in total crime volume recorded nationwide over the same period.

Regional Crime Information Reporting and Analysis System data showed marked increases in non-index crimes recorded in Southern Tagalog, Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas and Metro Manila from January to October.

Almost 80 percent of the total crimes nationwide were non-index crimes, including violation of local ordinances.

Carlos said non-index crime cases are not indicative of the overall prevailing crime situation.

“They reflect the effectiveness of police operations in the enforcement of special laws, statutes and local ordinances,” he said.

He said non-index crimes include cases of reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property, mostly arising from road and industrial accidents, which make up majority of non-index crime incidents recorded nationwide.

Other non-index crimes include violations of special laws such as child abuse, illegal drugs, illegal firearms, illegal logging, traffic code and illegal gambling, acts of lasciviousness, alarm and scandal, direct assault, estafa, threats, malicious mischief and unjust vexation. –