By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) yesterday confirmed, based on data gathered between January and August, crime volume in the province has dropped by nearly 62 percent.

NOPPO spokesperson, Police Senior Inspector Aireen Cordua, said they recorded a total crime volume of 18,850, which is significantly lower than the 33,348 reported cases during the same period last year.

NOPPO also noticed a significant 68.6 percent drop in index crimes, which includes murder, homicide, physical injury and rape, and crimes against property. Last year also saw a decline, but by 57.79 percent.

In terms of non-index crimes, which include child abuse, illegal drugs, illegal firearms, traffic offenses, among others, there was a 58.22 percent drop.

NOPPO’s crime clearance efficiency, meanwhile, increased by 10.34 percent compared with 4.96 percent last year; with a solution efficiency of 5.32 percent. which is higher than 3.16 percent from 2017.

Cordua said the decrease in index and non-index crimes and increase in crime clearance and solution efficiency was the product of unprecedented efforts made by police stations and units across the province, resulting in a large number of arrests.

“The considerable participation of the community in giving information to the identity

and whereabouts of the suspects plays an important role in their arrest,” she said.

NOPPO is also encouraging the public to continue reporting any suspicious persons or activities occurring in their area./DGB, WDJ