SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) – The Ilocos Region recorded a significant drop in crime rates during the first six months of 2024, according to Police Regional Office 1 (PRO1).
A total of 3,589 crimes were reported from January to June, a stark contrast to the 4,696 incidents recorded in the same period last year.
This represents a 23.57% decrease in overall crime, with declines seen across various crime categories, including index crimes, non-index crimes, and vehicular traffic incidents, from January 1 to June 30 this year.
PRO1 Regional Director, PBGEN Lou Evangelista, attributes the sharp decline this year to intensified police operations, synchronized anti-criminality and law enforcement operations, including checkpoint operations, drug enforcement operations, and intelligence-driven operations.
The synchronized operations are anchored on PRO1’s S.E.C.U.R.E.D. agenda, specifically on the Strategic Approach to Crime Prevention and Solution Activities, which provides a more efficient and timely implementation of anti-criminality efforts throughout the Ilocos Region.
For index crimes, or those that are serious in nature, such as murder, robbery, carnapping, and rape, Evangelista says that the regional office recorded 408 for the period, lower than the 612 recorded in the same period in 2023.
Figures for physical injury declined from 91 to 60, rape cases from 212 to 92, robbery from 45 to 39, theft from 145 to 105, carjacking of motor vehicles from five to four, carjacking of motorcycles from 30 to 22, and special complex crimes from two cases to one.
Index crimes categorized as homicide also recorded the same figure of 16 compared to 2023, while the figure for murder increased from 65 in 2023 to 69 in 2024.
“Rape [incidents] significantly decreased by 120 incidents. Theft is the most prevalent crime in 2024 [with 105]. However, it decreased by 40 [from a figure of 145 in 2023],” Evangelista said.
Evangelista adds that for non-index crimes, or crimes that are less serious, such as vandalism or assault, the Ilocos Region has a total of 1,544 for the first six months of 2024, which is also lower than the 2,146 reported for the same period last year.
“Non-index crimes are those in violation of special laws and [the] Revised Penal Code. A decrease of 602 incidents in the calendar year 2024 was recorded,” Evangelista added.
Evangelista says that the usual violations committed in the region under non-index crimes include the use of prohibited drugs, gambling, and violence against women and children.
For vehicular traffic incidents, the region has 1,637 incidents recorded for the first semester of 2024, which is also lower than the 1,938 reported in the first semester of 2023.
These accomplishments of PRO1 were presented during the “Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas” program of the Presidential Communications Office through the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) on Tuesday, August 6.
The program is a weekly activity highlighting the significant gains of national government agencies towards the attainment of the Marcos administration’s overarching theme of a Bagong Pilipinas. (AMB/CCMT/PIA La Union)
