BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) recorded a 7.4-percent decrease in the province’s crime volume in the first six months of 2019.
Latest data released by the provincial police showed 1,386 crime incidents were reported from January 1 to June 30, lower compared to last year’s 1,491 recorded during the same period.
Major Edison Garcia, NOCPPO public information officer, said on Wednesday the lower crime volume can be attributed to the sustained implementation of the Integrated Patrol Deployment Plan and Enhanced Managing Police Operations.
The eight focus crimes, which include murder; homicide; robbery; theft; rape; physical injury; and motor vehicile theft, decreased by 27 percent – from 624 during the first six months in 2018, to only 456 this year.
Cases of reckless imprudence were also down by 18.12 percent – from the previous year’s 743 incidents to only 601 in the first semester of 2019.
Garcia said crime clearance efficiency increased from 80.42 percent to 85.28 percent within the six-month period while crime solution efficiency also went up to 72.73 percent from 62.71 percent last year.
Crime clearance efficiency refers to cases with identified and charged suspects but were not arrested while crime solution efficiency includes cases wherein suspects were arrested and charged.
Also, the provincial police units conducted 200 operations against illegal gambling that resulted to the arrest of 535 persons and 106 cases filed.
A total of 112 individuals were arrested during 164 operations against illegal firearms. Those arrested yielded 133 firearms and the police filed106 cases. (With a report from PNA/PN)