"During this National Crime Prevention Week, let's keep in mind that crime prevention is not only the duty of law enforcement agencies, but also of every citizen," Torres said in Filipino, in a video post to cap off the country’s observance of National Crime Prevention Week on Thursday, September 7, 2023.
As the nation observed the consciousness event, the PIA chief called on all Filipinos to take an active role in maintaining safety and security for themselves, their families, and fellow Filipinos.
"We all have a duty to maintain the safety of ourselves, our families, and our countrymen. Share and work together for an orderly and safe community for all,” he added.
The National Crime Prevention Week serves as an annual reminder of the importance of crime prevention and community engagement in ensuring the well-being of all citizens.
This year, the PIA is working diligently to raise awareness about the role that individuals and communities play in creating a secure environment for everyone.
Torres also emphasized that individual actions, such as reporting suspicious activities, promoting awareness, and engaging in neighborhood watch programs, can contribute significantly to reducing crime rates and improving the overall safety of communities.
It can be recalled that every first week of September of every year is declared as the National Crime Prevention Week pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 461 dated August 31, 1994. All government agencies and instrumentalities of government are enjoined to evolve and implement projects and activities that focus on prevention as an approach in combating criminality.
The PIA, for its part, invites citizens, community organizations, and local governments to participate in various initiatives and activities aimed at fostering a culture of crime prevention and community cooperation.
The Philippine Information Agency is the government's official information arm, responsible for disseminating timely and accurate information to the public. PIA plays a crucial role in promoting government programs, initiatives, and public awareness campaigns.
Meanwhile, The Philippine National Police (PNP) has reported a significant decrease in the country's overall crime rate for the first half of this year, as compared to the same period in the previous year.
According to PNP spokesperson PCol. Jean Fajardo, peace and order indicators, particularly index crimes, have shown a notable decline.
Index crimes encompass serious offenses such as murder, homicide, physical injury, robbery, rape, theft, and carnapping. The statistics reveal a noteworthy reduction in several categories:
- Carnapping: The incidence of carnapping has seen the most significant decrease, dropping by 28.9 percent. There were 123 reported incidents from January to June this year, compared to 173 during the same period last year.
- Physical Injury: Physical injury cases decreased by 20.01 percent, with 2,314 reported incidents compared to 2,893 in the previous year.
- Rape: Reported rape cases also showed a noteworthy 18.19 percent decrease, declining from 5,025 to 4,111 cases.
- Theft: Incidents of theft went down from 6,506 to 5,899.
Motorcycle Theft: Motorcycle theft decreased from 998 to 910 incidents.
- Murder: The number of murder cases dropped from 2,177 to 2,077.
However, the official said that not all crime categories experienced a decline. Robbery incidents increased from 2,434 to 2,601, and homicide cases also saw an uptick from 511 to 525.
Fajardo also said that these figures do not account for cybercrimes, which have previously been reported to have increased by approximately 192 percent nationwide and by 152 percent in Metro Manila.
She said the PNP is currently conducting a study to assess whether cybercrime-related activities should be included in the index crimes, as they are becoming increasingly prevalent concerns in today's digital age.
The overall reduction in index crimes is a positive development, reflecting the efforts of law enforcement agencies in ensuring the safety and security of the public. The PNP continues to work towards maintaining and further improving peace and order in the country. (PIA-NCR)
