By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Criminal incidents here increased by 4.50 percent from January to June 2021, the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) reported.
BCPO logged 673 cases in said months, 29 more than the 644 incidents in the same period in 2020.
Index crimes or crimes against person or property increased by nine incidents, or 6.29 percent from 143 incidents last year to 152 cases this year.
The eight focus crimes were also up by nine cases or 6.34 percent from 142 cases to 151 incidents this year.
Of the eight focus crimes, theft topped the list with 71 incidents from 52 last year, followed by physical injury with 22 cases, murder with 21 cases, robbery with 16 cases, rape with 11 cases, homicide with five cases, motornapping with four cases, and carnapping with one case.
Police Station 1 reported the most number of eight focus crimes for the period in review with 37 incidents, followed by Police Station 2, with 25, and Police Station 8 with 18, while Police Station 10 was recorded with the least number of incidents at four cases.
For the average monthly crime rate, BCPO noted a 4.50 percent spike from 17.54 last year to 18.33 this year.
Police Major Sherlock Gabana, BCPO information officer, said that the increase in crime volume could be attributed to poverty brought by the pandemic.
“May mga tawo na nawad-an source of income because of pandemic, amo na may mga shoplifting, salisi, and ang iban ga resort na lang sa inom, asta kis-a mag lab-ot sa sakitanay,” Gabana said.
Gabana also said that some of the murder cases were drug-related due to a possible rivalry of drug groups or failed illegal drug transactions.
For the crime clearance efficiency (cases were filed but suspects remained at large), the BCPO noted a decrease of 4.34 percent from 97.20 in the previous year to 92.87 in the following year.
Gabana said that this is because some witnesses were reluctant as they fear for their safety.
Despite this, Gabana said the BCPO had exceeded the 84.64 target for crime solution efficiency, with 6.85 percent increase from 82.30 in 2020 to 89.15 in 2021.
“This means that ang BCPO personnel ga giho and na strengthen ang police response because we have arrested more suspects and filed cases against them,” he added.
For non-index crimes or other crimes or violation of special laws, BCPO has recorded an increase of 20 or 3.99 percent from 501 cases in 2020 to 521 in 2021.
Gabana said the BCPO assured the public that they will continue to strengthen their efforts to maintain peace and order in the city, as he appealed for everyone’s cooperation and support.
“This is everyone’s responsibility, bisan ano kadamo police, indi man sa tanan na oras mabantayan gid ang tanan, we need your cooperation,” Gabana said, adding that one factor that might also affect their service is the limited manpower and mobility.
Aside from the crime volume, traffic incidents also increased with 39 incidents or 72.22 percent from 54 cases in 2020 to 93 incidents this year.
Reckless imprudence resulting in physical injury increased with 52 incidents in 2021 compared to last year’s 34, while reckless imprudence resulting in homicide decreased this year with 10 cases from 12 incidents last year.
Reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property increased with 31 cases in 2021 from eight cases in 2020.
Gabana said the increase in traffic accidents was due to the movement of people and vehicles under a less stricter community quarantine status this year,
compared last year, wherein the city was placed under a stricter community quarantine status for several months.
For police initiated operations, the city police force has increased nine or 33.21 percent from 280 in 2020 to 373 in 2021.
Most of the operations conducted were in the campaign against illegal drugs.
