NEGROS Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) officer-in-charge Police Colonel Romy Palgue said the index crime rate in the province has decreased to 35.68 percent in the 1st half of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

Based on the data released by Nocppo on Tuesday, July 7, the number of robbery cases decreased by almost half at 49.02 percent, followed by theft cases at 48.68 percent.

Physical injuries, meanwhile, also showed a drop at almost 42 percent, while murder cases saw a 48.68 percent decrease.

Nocppo also reported a decrease in other crimes such as rape, homicide, and motornapping, while there were no carnapping cases recorded for the period.

Palgue attributed the trend to the increased police presence in the streets due to implementation of the province-wide community quarantine to slow down or eliminate the possibility of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) transmissions in Negros Occidental.

Nocppo also reported an increase of 8.37 percent in police initiated operations. The figure reflects increased police activities and initiatives to apprehend violators.