JAGNA, Bohol, Aug. 5 (PIA) -- Local crime statisticians have assured that the slight increase in crimes here is not a cause for alarm.

This after records show that the total crime count is a little over 1% of the entire population in the province.

During the recent joint meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC), Camp Francisco Dagohoy’s Deputy Operations Officer Police Major Rey Olaer said there was an increase in crimes in 2023 as against January to July 2022.

From a total of 3,231 crimes reported in the said period in 2022, it jumped to 3,397 or a 5.14 % increase.

Total crimes count means the total of all peace and order incidents and public safety incidents as recorded in police blotters in all police stations in Bohol.

According to Olaer, Camp Dagohoy’s consolidated records show there were 1,502 peace and order incidents in 2022, compared to 1,595 cases reported in 2023.

This increase of 93 crime incidents is equivalent to 6.19%.

As peace and order incidents are categorized as index and non-index crimes: index crimes are crimes against the Revised Penal Code while non-index crimes are those that are commissions from the operation of special laws.

For public safety incidents, from 1,729 in 2022, there were 73 more cases recorded this year, for a total of 1,802 cases in 2023.

Olaer added that the first seven months in 2022 recorded 451 index crimes, and this decreased to 444 (5.55%).

As for total non-index crimes, from 1,051 cases reported in 2022, this climbed to 1,151 or a 9.51% increase.

When the PPOC and PADAC members raised alarm over the increase in crimes, Camp Dagohoy Operations Chief Police Major Norman Nuez assured the council members that the police are on top of the situation as he pointed out that that the total number crimes is not even 2% of the local population.

The province of Bohol is generally peaceful and the commission of crime is at a manageable level, said Nuez.

The Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) vowed to continually exert effort in the implementation of sustaining police presence and increase in police operations on its flagship programs, continue conduct of police operations against drug personalities and loose firearms, the implementation of simultaneous anti-criminality law enforcement operations, and sustain the coordination and collaboration with other agencies for the Barangay Drug Clearing Program and crime prevention and solution efforts.

For this, BPPO works closely with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, other local enforcement agencies, and the Provincial Government of Bohol to implement, initiate, and innovate several programs to ensure a safer Bohol which is now opening its tourism industry in full capacity, Olaer said. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)