DESPITE a 19.34% increase in crimes undermining public safety, Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) still managed to report some 3.50% decrease in total crime incidents from January to December of 2022 as against the same period last year.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Berondo, reporting for Police Colonel Lorenzo Batuan bared this before the members of the Provincial Peace and Order Council, convened for the regular meeting held at the Capitol Ceremonial Hall, January 11.
As the continued decrease in over-all crimes in Bohol has continued in the last years, this month could be the smallest recorded decrease.
Lt. Col Berondo, who is Camp Dagohoy’s Operations Officer, said that in 2021, from January to December, they recorded 5,850 crimes reaching police blotters all over Bohol’s 47 towns and one city.
By 2022, from the same period January to December, total crimes went down to 5,645 incidents, that is 205 cases lesser than the past year
Of the total crimes categorized as peace and order and public safety incidents, Bohol Provincial Police base in Camp Dagohoy recorded some 21.36% decrease in peace and order incidents.
By 21.36%, this boils down to 702 cases.
In 2022, Bohol police logged 2,584 crimes involving peace and order, 702 cases fewer than the 3,286 cases noted in police crime logbooks in 2021.
Of these, crimes that are punishable under the Revised Penal Code, mostly crimes against persons and property reached 780 in 2022, which was just 737 in 2021; that is 43 cases more.
As to crimes against peace and order but are mostly punishable by special laws, estafa and local ordinances reached 1,804 in 2022 as against the 2,549 in 2021.
Meanwhile, Bohol apparently has to work on doing proactive measures towards public safety.
In 2021, Bohol has seen only some 2,564 incidents threatening public safety.
2020 however showed that of the 3,060 cases, the 496 cases already comprise a 19.34% increase in cases, easily drowning the proactive efforts to curb on peace and order incidents.
Theft, physical injuries, homicide and motor napping clicked an uptick in cases.
Theft went up 18%, physical injuries at 11%, homicide at 25% and motor napping at 38% marred the local crime busting efforts in 2022.
Robbery and car napping had the same number of cases in the past 2 years: robbery at 83 and car napping at one each.
Meanwhile, murder and rape this year lessened: murder at 18% lesser while rape at 25%.
In a comparative graph he showed to PPOC members, LtCol Berondo bared that in 2021, violations against special laws reached 1,614 as against 1,110 from January to December 2022.
As to violations against other non index crimes, or local ordinances, in 2021, police logged 930 incidents as against the 694 in 2022. This is equivalent to 25.38% less of these type of crimes in 2022.
On violations against special laws, in 2021, from 1,614, Bohol police now tracked 1,110, accomplishing a 31.23% decrease.
In 2022, alarms and scandals or violations against article 155 and swindling or transgression against RA 315 as amended and adultery topped the non index crime violations at 170 as against 105 in 2021, 184 as against 62 in 2021, and 7 in 2021 to 16 in 2022, respectively. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
