IT is a 6.63% decrease in total crime incidents in Bohol, despite the noted increase in crimes of public safety, reports Police Lieutenant Colonel Norman Nuez of Camp Francisco Dagohoy, headquarters of the Bohol Provincial Police.
Lt Col Nuez, who sits as the police admin officer, told members of the Provincial Peace and Order Council during a meeting, Thursday said beginning January 1 to October 25, Bohol police had recorded a total of 4,564 crimes of both peace and order or public safety in nature.
This however is 324 crimes less than last year, he pointed out, highlighting the 6.63% decrease in overall count compared to the same period of last year.
In 2021, Camp Dagohoy recorded a total of 4,888 crimes.
In peace and order incidents, or usually crimes against the country’s Revised Penal Code and special laws, police recorded 2,834 incidents in 2021, as against the 2,105 incidents.
For this, the local police accomplished a 25.72 % dip in these crimes from last year’s data.
As to the crime categories under the crimes on public safety, this year notes a 3.17%increase in total index crimes from 599 in 2021 to 618 in 2022.
For the non-index crimes or those that are punishable by special laws, from 2235 in 2021, it dove to 1,487 for the 33.47% decrease. This difference is already a sizable 748 cases.
For the special laws, only the illegal drugs cases saw a rise of 3% from 348 to 357 while everything went down.
This is except traffic related incidents for non-index crimes which see a slight rise in physical injuries and damage to property as well as homicide by 12%.
The police official who also announced the new change in Camp Dagohoy leadership from Colonel Osmundo Salibo who is retiring from active duty, to Boholano official Police Colonel Lorenzo Batuan, said they noted a 19.47% increase in crimes involving public safety from last year.
From only 2,054 crimes tallied in the first 300 days of the year in 2021, this time it climbed to 2,459, the 405 incidents he said are public safety incidents.
As to the Philippine National Police’s 8 focused crimes, Bohol scored four increases cases: in theft by 20% (192 to 231), physical injuries by 3% from 187 to a93, motor-napping by 32% (19-25) and homicide by 67% (6 to 10)
The anti-crime unit also noted the decrease in robbery (66 to 60), rape by 25% (84-63), murder to 18% (44-36) and carnapping by 100% from 1 to nil.
And while the figures may be depressing try this: of the 231 cases of theft which the police blotters reflected during the period, 185 of them were solved, 45 were cleared and only 1 remained unsolved.
Out of the 193 cases of physical injuries, police have solved 157 and cleared 36.
Of the 60 cases of robbery, 39 have been solved, 19 are cleared, meaning the suspects have been identified but the police are still building enough evidence to convict the suspect than filing the case and these get dismissed. Two cases of robbery have been unsolved.
For motor napping, of the 25 cases filed this year, police have solved 17, cleared 5 and own a backlog of 3 cases.
As to homicide, of the 10 cases recorded in the last 300 days, all of the cases have been solved, Lt Col Nuez said.
For murder, as the crime statisticians recorded 36 cases, 16 of these have been solved, 8 are cleared and still 12 cases remain to be cold case files until new evidence comes out and the files are reopened.
For rape, with the 63 counts listed in 2022, police have solved 30% 20 cases, and cleared the remaining 43, or cases have been filed as the suspects are now identified. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
