May polls' security lessened crime rate

CEBU, Philippines – The crime volume for January to August this year was almost 6,000 crimes or 23 percent lower than the crime volume for the same period last year.

Police claimed police visibility, including the intense checkpoints during the preparation of the elections last May and the election itself as main contributor in the 23.36 percent reduction of crimes this year.

The report from the Police Regional Office-7 showed that from January to August last year, there were a total of 23,914 crimes, 16,938 of which are index crimes and 6,976 as non-index crimes.

An index crime is defined as that that is sufficiently significant and which occurs with sufficient regularity to be meaningful. Included in this category are the following crimes: murder, physical injury, robbery, theft and rape. 

Non-index crimes are violations against special laws.

For this year, there are only 18,328 crimes that transpired within the same period; 13,047 of which are index crimes and 5,281 as non-index or 5,586 crimes less.

The incident with the largest number is theft which has reached 7,826 for last year of the same period and 5,910 this year. Physical injuries follows with 4,671 incidents last year and 3,219 this year, then robbery with 2,973 incidents last year and 2,661 for this year, and murder with 484 and 465 incidents for last year and this year, respectively.

The Cebu City Police Office has the most crimes among the seven police offices having equivalent to 6,530 crimes last year and 5,466 this year while the Siquijor Provincial Police Office got the lowest rate which is 349 incidents last year and only 180 for this year.

The police have earlier explained CCPO's being at the top for having the most crime incidents, saying that population density is also considered. Siquijor also has the lowest population density. The other police offices include Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu. (FREEMAN)