MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/29 November) – Bukidnon’s total crime volume may have decreased from 5,131 total for the period August 2010 to September 2011 to 4,879 cases from August 2011 to September 2012, but the number of robbery, rape and homicide cases had increased, according to the comparative crime statistics provided by the Bukidnon Provincial Police Office.
For the same period, there were 252 or five percent less crime incidents this year in the province.
For index crimes, there were 95 or six percent less cases, or down from 1,649 to 1,554 for crimes against person including murder, homicide, physical injury, and rape.
But except for physical injury, which went down from 1,216 cases to 1,109 cases or nine percent less this year, murder increased from 310 to 314 cases, homicide from 66 to 71 cases, and rape from 57 to 60 cases.
Crimes against property like theft, car theft, robbery and cattle rustling went down from 2,607 to 2,532 cases.
Theft cases went down from 1,475 to 1311 cases. Car theft also decreased from 242 to 193 cases.
But there were more robbery cases this year with an 18-percent increase from 743 cases to 879 cases.
Cattle rustling also slightly increased, from 147 to 149 cases.
Non-index crimes reduced by nine percent or 82 cases. Decreases were reflected in the number of cases of illegal possession of firearms, illegal drugs, illegal gambling, illegal logging, attempted murder and attempted homicide.
According to the report, the biggest gain was in illegal gambling, which showed a decrease of 56 percent. Next is illegal possession of firearms with a 49-percent decrease.
Direct assault cases rose by 17 percent, the biggest increase so far. Estafa, arson, malicious mischief, and grave oral threats also increased in volume.
The report, originally signed by Inspector Crisanto Molina, chief of the Provincial Investigation and Detection Management Division, cited that their crime solution efficiency is only 18 percent, an increase from last year’s 14.83 percent.
Last year, only 761 cases of the 5,131 total crime volume were considered “solved.” According to the report, crime solution efficiency is better this year with 18 percent or a total of 871 out of 4,879 cases solved.
The report also showed that from August 2010 to September 2011, most crimes occurred in Malaybalay (1,399), followed by Valencia (1,343), Maramag (393 cases), and Manolo Fortich (205).
But from August 2011 to September 2012, Valencia recorded 1,274 crimes, followed by Malaybalay with 1,235 cases, Maramag with 379 cases, and Talakag with 222 cases. (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)
