Western Visayas recorded a 7.2 percent drop in crime incidence from January to May this year compared to the same period in 2023.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 (Western Visayas) Director, Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky, on Friday attributed the drop to the maximized police presence and deploying them in strategic areas.
Data from PRO-6 on Friday showed that the region logged 4,820 incidents in the first five months of the year, lower than the 5,194 incidents recorded in the same period last year.
Wanky, in recognizing the relentless efforts of unit commanders, also encouraged them to know their jurisdiction well and “adjust deployment accordingly” to sustain the gain.
“The downtrend of our recorded crimes in the region is the fruit of your labor. This is the product of maximizing your personnel on the streets and deploying them in strategic areas. Know fully your area of jurisdiction and adjust your deployment accordingly,” he said in a statement.
A big drop was noted in the eight focus crimes comprising murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, motor vehicle theft, and motorcycle theft, with 958 incidents from 1,197 in 2023.
The index crimes also dropped to 963 cases this year from 1,202, while non-index (less serious) crimes recorded 3,857 incidents against 3,992 in 2023.
In terms of index crimes, Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (PPO) posted the highest reduction at 36.54 percent, Capiz PPO recorded 28.26 percent, and Iloilo PPO with 21.07 percent.
The highest reduction for non-index crimes was within the jurisdiction of Capiz PPO with 32.21 percent, Antique PPO with 20.41 percent, and Bacolod City PPO with 20.06 percent.
Wanky acknowledged the strong support of the local government units, force multipliers, advocacy support groups, and other stakeholders in peace and order endeavors and assured the PNP would exert more effort to make the region a safer place to live, invest, and do business.*PNA