BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental’s crime rate rose by 15.74 percent this year, data from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) showed.
From Jan. 1 to Dec. 15, 2022, the number of crimes reached 4,132 – an increase of 562 or 15.74 percent from the 3,570 crimes recorded in the same period last year.
NOCPPO cited the increase in eight focus crimes – murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, carnapping, and motornapping. There were 695 this year, an increase of 15.26 percent from last year’s data.
Despite the crime surge, NOCPPO’s crime solution rate also increased. Its Crime Clearance Efficiency was at 97.59 percent, up from last year’s 94.55 percent.
Crime Solution Efficiency is also up at 87.76 percent, higher than last year’s 82.87 percent.
NOCPPO spokesperson, Police Lieutenant Judesses Catalogo, said the crime surge was due in part to increased human activity following the lifting of pandemic restrictions.
NOCPPO police units also seized a total of P107,580,781.88 worth of illegal drugs from January to December of this year.
Illegal drug operations conducted reached 678, resulting to the arrest of 843 suspects.
A total of 15,670 grams of shabu were seized this year, while marijuana confiscations were at 8,569.92 grams.
In the campaign against illegal gambling, NOCPPO conducted 698 operations and resulted in the arrest of 2,466 persons and confiscation of P270,313 bet money.
A total of 1,148 firearms were also either surrendered or deposited this year.
NOCPPO added that 350 most wanted persons were arrested./PN
