By Jennifer P. Rendon
Western Visayas registered lower crime incidents for the first eight months of 2022.
Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 records showed that 7,045 crimes lumped under the “peace and order indicator” category were reported from January to August this year.
The number is fewer by 879 incidents, or 11.09 percent compared to the same period last year.
Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis, PRO-6 spokesperson, said Peace and Order Indicator (POI) classification includes crimes that reflect the true crime picture and the peace and order situation of a community.
This comprises the total number of Index (crimes against persons and property) and Non-Index Crimes (violation of special laws like drug peddling).
Almost all areas in the region decreased in the number of POI crimes, except Negros Occidental.
Iloilo City posted the highest decrease at 33.1 percent or 478 cases. From 1,444 incidents in 2021, incidents went down to 966.
Iloilo province posted a decline of 312 cases or 16.67 while Guimaras recorded a 10.22 percent decrease.
Capiz recorded a decrease of 9.5 percent; Bacolod City with 7.08 percent; Antique with 3.21 percent; and Aklan with 2.29 percent.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental logged an increase of 81 cases, or 4.34 percent.
Brigadier General Leo Francisco, Western Visayas police chief, commended all unit commanders and their personnel in the region for their collective effort in reducing crime incidents in the region.
“Let us relentlessly implement our crime prevention and solution strategies to stop the occurrence of crimes,” he said.
The region’s top cop also instructed chiefs of police to do a regular evaluation of approaches and accordingly adjust to address the identified gaps, if necessary.
They were also told to strengthen their coordination and collaboration with the local government units and other stakeholders in their respective areas of responsibility to be able to sustain lower crime incidents.
“They should also ensure that our personnel are seen, felt and interactive with the community, so that it will be easy for the people to have access to our peacekeeping services,” Francisco said.
