Monday, January 05, 2009 Crime rate in Cebu City drops; more crimes solved last year
WITH the implementation of night-watch patrols and synchronized checkpoints, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) boasted of an 8.5 percent drop in its crime volume in 2008.
Compared to 2,746 crimes in 2007, CCPO recorded just 2,512 in 2008.
Index crimes or crimes against persons and properties dropped by 14.8 percent, with 1,829 crimes in 2007 compared to 1,558 cases in 2008.
Non-index crimes, or those in violation of special laws, however, increased by 4.1 percent at 954.
The CCPO, though, has increased its crime solution efficiency from 71.2 percent in 2007 to 82 percent in 2008.
Of the 2,512 crimes in 2008, the CCPO solved 2,051.
In particular, solution efficiency for index crimes rose from 58 percent to 70.2 percent, while that for non-index crimes improved to 99.43 percent from 97.49 percent in 2007.
Theft was the most committed crime last year, composing 681 of the total crime volume. But the number of cases decreased by 25 percent, as the incidents ran up to 909 in 2007.
Physical injuries followed with 472 cases, which were fewer by 35 incidents, or seven percent, compared to 507 the year before.
There was little difference in the crimes of murder and homicide, which registered 79 and 19, respectively. In 2007, there were 80 murder cases and 20 homicide cases.
One of the noted shooting incidents in Cebu City was the death of lawyer Richard Sison last May.
CCPO likewise saw an eight-percent drop in the number of robberies, with 275 recorded in 2008 compared to 298 in 2007.
The incidents include robberies on pawnshops and jewelry stores, such as those on the Oro Sugbu Pawnshop and Jewelry Store, Agencia Anne and Golden Treasures.
Rape cases, however, rose to 32 incidents last year compared to just 15 in 2007.
CCPO Director Patrocinio Comendador said it was either the cases really increased or that more victims gained confidence in the CCPO Women and Children’s Concerns Desk and reported to authorities.
Also, the CCPO reported that the average monthly crime rate has dropped from 31.53 in 2007 to 28.8 last year.
Specifically, Cebu City’s average monthly index crime rate was 19.31—a drop from 2007’s 21.
As for the average monthly non-index crime rate, it remained at 10. (MEA)
