By Jennifer P. Rendon
Crime incidents in Western Visayas are on a downtrend, Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) reported Monday, Nov 8, 2021.
Latest statistics indicated that the crime volume in the region from January to October 2021 totaled 14,022 cases
Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis, PRO-6 spokesperson, said that the number is lower by 3,512 cases, or 20.02. percent, from last year’s 17,534.
Iloilo City posted the biggest decrease at 42.07 percent while Aklan has a 17.9 percent reduction and Guimaras at 17.48 percent.
Relatedly, Solis said that the region’s eight focus crimes – murder, homicide, physical injury, robbery, theft, rape, carnapping of motor vehicle and motorcycle – reduced by 9.72 percent.
For the past 10 months of this year, the region recorded 2,136 cases involving eight focus crimes compared to last year’s 2,366 cases.
While majority of the crimes decreased, PRO-6 noted an increase in theft incidents – 530 cases from last year’s 424 – and carnapping of motor vehicles, which recorded 6 cases from a lone incident last year.
Western Visayas’ non-index crimes, or violation of special laws, reduced from 7,902 in January to October last year to 6,407, or 18.91 percent, in 2021.
Solis attributed this year’s lower crime incidents to several factors.
These include the implementation of weekly Enhanced Managing Police Operations (EMPO) wherein recorded crimes were analyzed and deployments were adjusted based on the crime analysis; and the regular conduct of red teaming operations where commanders checked and validate the personnel deployment.
“We have also intensified anti-criminality operations such as checkpoints, chokepoints and visibility patrols,” he said.
Solis said it also helped that they have heightened their campaign against wanted persons and illegal drugs.
He also attributed this to the intensified intelligence monitoring and liaising with other law enforcement agencies; and good partnership with the local government units and other stakeholders.
He also cited the close coordination and collaboration with force multipliers.
