BACOLOD CITY — Crime volume in Negros Occidental decreased by 61.62 percent from January to August this year compared to the incidents recorded for the same period in 2017.
Data released by the provincial police on Thursday showed that in the first eight months of 2018, the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) monitored only 3,061 crimes, lower by 4,916 from last year’s 7,977 incidents.
Index crimes, or those committed against persons and property, decreased by 68.6 percent. These crimes include murder, homicide, robbery, theft, rape, physical injury and car and motorcycle theft.
Theft cases alone decreased by 82.72 percent.
Meanwhile, non-index crimes, or crimes involving violations of special laws, decreased by 58.22 percent.
From January to August 2018, crime clearance efficiency, which refers to cases with identified and charged suspects but were not arrested — increased by 10.34 percent — from 66.85 percent in 2017 to 77.20 percent this year.
Crime solution efficiency, or cases wherein suspects were arrested and charged, also increased by 5.32 percent — from 60.57 percent last year to 65.89 percent in 2018.
Senior Supt. Rodolfo Castil Jr., police provincial director, said in a statement the substantial decrease in both index and non-index crimes, as well as the increase in crime clearance and solution efficiency, can be attributed to the unprecedented efforts of personnel in various stations to go after wanted persons.
Castil also lauded community participation in providing information to the police. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
