BACOLOD CITY -- Crime volume in Bacolod City dropped by 26.85 percent in May, compared to the figures recorded in the same month last year, police records showed.
In the fifth month this year, police recorded a total of 218 crimes, lower by 80 incidents from May 2017’s 298.
The number of index crimes - murder, homicide, physical injury, robbery, theft, rape, car theft, and motorcycle theft - decreased by 30.34 percent from 89 incidents last year to only 62 this year.
However, for robbery, police marked an increase of 58.33 percent, or seven cases from 12 last year to 19 this year.
Theft, meanwhile, decreased by 50 percent, from 42 incidents in May last year to only 21 this 2018.
Senior Supt. Francisco Ebreo, officer-in-charge of the Bacolod City Police, said in a press conference on Monday that although robbery cases were up last month, the police also arrested more suspects during the period.
Meanwhile, non-index crimes, or violations of special laws, were down by 53 incidents from 209 to 156, equivalent to a decrease of 25.36 percent.
In May this year, police-initiated operations increased by 29, or 72.5 percent, from 40 last year to 69 this year.
Operations against illegal gambling rose by 550 percent from only six in 2017 to 39 this year. This resulted in the arrest of 104 persons and the filing of 39 cases.
Of the cases filed, 27 were for violations of Presidential Decree 1602 and 12 for violations of Republic Act No. 9287.
The police operations against illegal drugs dropped by 38.46 percent from 26 last year to 16 last May.
Still, the Bacolod Police seized PHP1.09 million in illegal drugs in various operations conducted last month, leading to the arrest of 37 persons, 33 of whom were newly-identified personalities and four were street-level target suspects. (PNA)
