Crime incidence in Albay dips by 45%

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Philippine National Police (PNP) - Albay Police Provincial Office (PPO) has recorded a downtrend in crime incidence in the province despite the lifting of travel restrictions under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

“Based on the Crime Information Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS) of the Philippine National Police, the total number of crime incidents in the province dropped by 1,001 or 45 percent from 2,228 cases recorded on March 17 to Aug.12, 2019 to only 1,227 incidents during the same period this year,” PNP Albay information officer Captain Dexter Panganiban said.

Panganiban said the total number of crime incidents, formerly known as crime volume, is divided into the Peace and Order Index (POI) and Public Safety Index (PSI) or the number of recorded motor vehicle traffic accidents (MVTA).

The POI is further divided into index crimes or crimes, which are considered as the true index, barometer or yardstick of the prevailing peace and order situation in any given area.

Non-Index Crimes are violations of special laws, other non-index crimes, and either frustrated or attempted Eight Focused Crimes (murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft and carnapping of motor vehicle and motorcycle).

Worth noting is the significant decrease of index crimes. Robbery dropped by 73 percent from 162 to 107 cases; theft by 66 percent from 162 to 107; physical injury, 68 percent, from 59 to 40; homicide, 43 percent from seven to three; rape, 25 percent from 60 to 25, and murder, 15 percen from 13 to two cases.

“There was also no record of carnapping of motor vehicles (100% decrease) during the community quarantine period as compared with the three cases last year. Carnapping of motorcycles also fell by 45 percent from 11 to five cases,” Panganiban said.

Meanwhile, the three percent increase in non-index crimes from 588 cases to 606 cases during the community quarantine period can be attributed to the intensified police-initiated operations.

“These are 84 incidents (45 percent) more than the 185 cases recorded during the same period last year,” Panganiban said.

These operations include the checkpoint operations and “Oplan Sita” for resistance and disobedience to a person in authority or the agents of such person and other non-index crimes. Many of which are quarantine protocol-related violations during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and MGCQ periods.

The public safety index in Albay has likewise improved due to decline in the number of traffic accidents.

“Another silver lining brought about by the pandemic and the community quarantine is the improvement in the PSI in Albay, which can be attributed to the decline in the number of MVTA in the province by 804 incidents (63 percen) from 1,284 for last year to only 480 this year,” he said.

PNP Albay provincial director Col. Primitivo C. Bayongan Jr also noted the discipline and support of the community to achieve the significant drop in crime incidence.

“Malaki po ang naging contribution ng ipinakitang disiplina at suporta ng bawat isa sa steady decline na ito ng bilang ng krimen at aksidente sa Albay. Kaya naman po napakalaki ng aming pasasalamat sa inyong lahat,” he said.

“Health is everyone’s concern. If you do not need to leave your homes, do not go out. By doing so, you are not just saving yourself and your family, but also your community. Please stay at home and help us save lives,” appealed Bayongan to the community. (PIA5/Albay)