Soccsksargen crime incidence down by 20%

GENERAL SANTOS CITY--Crime incidence in Region 12 or Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato City, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City) declined by about 20 percent in the last five months as police units sustained their intensified efforts to make local communities safer and more secure, a police official said on Wednesday.

Supt. Aldrin Gonzales, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-12 (PRO-12), said records show that the region’s total crime volume from January to May dropped to 7,060 from 8,800 in the same period last year.    

Gonzales attributed the decrease to the continuing intelligence-driven and focused police operations in the entire region against all forms of criminality.

“This is also the result of the successful arrest of wanted personalities and the crackdown against street gangs these past months,” he told Philippine News Aagency.

As of the end of May, the official said local police units have arrested a total of 258 wanted persons, with a number included in the top 10 most wanted list.

He said the arrested personalities were charged with major crimes such as murder, rape, attempted murder, and frustrated.

Gonzales explained that the recorded total crime volume comprised index and non-index crimes.

Index crimes involve offenses against persons such as murder, homicide, rape, and physical injury as well as those against property, among them theft, robbery and carnapping.

Non-index crimes involve violations of special laws like local ordinances and less serious criminal offenses such as acts of lasciviousness, alarm and scandal, direct assault, estafa, threats, malicious mischief and unjust vexation.

The police official said the recorded index crimes decreased by 47.13 percent or from 2,788 incidents in 2017 to 1,474 this year.

The non-index crimes also dropped by 9.21 percent or from 6,092 incidents in January to May 2017 to 5, 531 in the same period this year, he said.

In terms of crime solution efficiency, he said PRO-12 units posted an increase of 24.45 percent or from 43.19 percent in 2017 to 67.64 percent this year.

Their crime clearance rating also increased by 20.74 percent or from 54.79 percent in 2017 to 75.53 percent this year, he said.  

Gonzales said a crime is considered solved when the offender has been identified or there is sufficient evidence to file charges.

He said it follows with the arrest of the suspect and subsequently charged before the prosecutor’s office.

Crimes are considered cleared when at least one of the offenders have been identified, there is sufficient evidence to file charges or already charged before the prosecutor’s office. (PNA)