NCRPO: November crime rate declines

The National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) recorded a total of 1,457 crime incidents in Metro Manila for the month of November, which is lower by 166 Acases or 10 percent compared to the 1,623 incidents listed for the same period last year.

The NCRPO said last months’ crime incidents are also lower by 294 cases or by 17 percent compared to the 1,751 cases recorded for the month of October.

NCRPO chief Director Reynaldo Varilla said the decreasing crime incidents in Metro Manila in the past two months was attributed to the five police district’s strict implementation of local ordinances and the cooperation displayed by the public in the fight against criminality.

"We have strengthened our partnership with the public in the war against criminality, resulting to more and more Metro Manilans are now reporting crimes to the police," Varilla told The Star.

Records show that of the total crime volume for November, 659 cases were index crimes, a decrease of 314 incidents or 32 percent compared to the 973 cases recorded for the same period last year.

Index crimes are those committed against persons like theft, robbery, rape, physical injury, homicide and murder.

However, for the first 11 months of the year, a total of 17,020 crime incidents were recorded in Metro Manila, up by 1,139 cases or 1.17 percent higher compared to the 15,881 incidents recorded for the same period last year.

Of the 7,982 index crimes, a total of 5,923 were robbery and theft cases or 74 percent of the crime incidents. Physical injuries, 140 cases; murder, 39; homicide, 23; and rape, 22.

Varilla is hoping that the deployment of at least 340 Motorized Anti-Street Crimes Operatives (MASCO) in Metro Manila during the Christmas season would bring crime incidents to its lowest level in years.

"We are expecting a rise in street crime cases this Christmas holiday and we are hoping that the deployment of MASCO units in crime prone areas would bring the figure down, especially those committed by suspects riding tandem in motorcycles," said Varilla.

Records culled by Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., head of the NCRPO’s regional investigation and detective management (RIDM), showed that a total of 4,677 street crimes were recorded for the first 11 months of the year, up by 488 incidents or 11.64 percent to the 4,189 cases listed for the same period last year.

Rojas said robbery topped the list of street crimes with 2,020 incidents, and closely followed by street level drug pushing with 1,193 cases. Theft came in third with 835 cases, physical injury with 347 and swindling and estafa at 110 incidents. — Non Alquitran