BY MA. THERESA LADIAO
ILOILO City – Crime rates in Western Visayas have seen a decrease, according to the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
Official statistics reveal a 7.20% reduction in crime incidents within the region for the period from January to May 2024, with 4,820 incidents reported compared to 5,194 during the same timeframe in 2023.
Both index and non-index crimes reflected a positive downtrend across all categories.
Index crimes are serious offenses that are used to gauge the overall crime situation in an area. They are often reported to higher authorities for statistical purposes and include violent and property crimes. The typical list of index crimes includes murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, and carjacking/motor vehicle theft.
Index crimes are generally more severe and are considered a priority in terms of law enforcement and prevention strategies because they pose a significant threat to public safety and security.
On the other hand, non-index crimes involve less serious offenses that can include violations of local ordinances, less serious assaults, fraud, gambling offenses, and other similar misdemeanors.
Index crimes in the region dropped by 19.88% with only 963 cases recorded as opposed to 1,202 in the previous year.
Similarly, non-index crimes decreased by 3.38%, with a tally of 3,857 incidents down from 3,992.
A further breakdown shows significant strides in combating murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, and carjacking of motor vehicles and motorcycles. These crimes collectively decreased by nearly 20%, from 1,197 incidents in 2023 to 958 in the current year.
Brigadier General Jack Wanky, director of PRO-6, credited the success to the efforts of local unit commanders and the strategic deployment of police personnel.
“The downward trend in our recorded crimes is the fruit of your labor. This is the product of maximizing your personnel on the streets and deploying them in strategic areas,” said Wanky.
He emphasized the importance of understanding and adjusting to the jurisdiction areas to optimize police presence and effectiveness./PN
