CRIME incidents in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental decreased last year compared to the cases recorded in 2015, police records showed.
In Bacolod City, criminal incidents decreased by 13.03 percent in 2016 as against the previous year’s figures.
Records of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) showed a total of 1,041 index crimes last year compared to 1,197, in 2015.
Under the index crimes, theft has the highest record of 516 cases, physical injury, 222, robbery, 143, rape, 71, murder, 30, motornapping, 26, homicide, 24, carnapping, 8, and cattle rustling, 1.
Murder and physical injury cases increased last year compared to the 2015 figures of only 20 and 205, respectively.
Senior Superintendent Flynn Dongbo, acting director of BCPO, said the decrease in crime incidents in 2016 can be attributed to the intensified visibility patrol operations of every police station and the cooperation of the public.
Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) data showed that index crimes totaled 7,738 last year, indicating a 17.98 percent decrease compared to the 2015 incidents.
Senior Superintendent William Señoron, acting director of Nocppo, presented the statistics to Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and other provincial officials during their New Year’s Call held at Nature's Village in Talisay City on Wednesday.
Cases in relation to internal security operations increased last year, with a 19 percent rise compared to 2015’s 10 cases.
In illegal drugs operation, BCPO has 263 operations last year from only 208 in 2015.
In Nocppo, the anti-drug operations surged to 39.85 percent, with 565 operations last year compared to 404 in 2015.
There were 941 persons arrested in Negros Occidental last year from only 645 in 2015, with an increase of 45.89 percent.