TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, January 22 (PIA) -- Total crime incidents in Bohol in 2023 increased by 8.36 percent compared to the previous year.

This spike can be attributed to a more proactive police force that has been spearheading anti-crime campaigns, human rights advocacies, and increased police presence which facilitated a crime reporting system that helped law enforcement agencies, said Police Sr. Supt. Lorenzo A. Batuan.

Batuan said that in previous years, criminals and drug personalities were arrested after the communities actively engaged with the police.

Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) records show that from January 1 to December 31, 2022, total crimes logged in police blotters across the province reached 5,679.

In the same period in 2023, BPPO noted 475 more cases, or an 8.36% percent increase.

In 2022, crimes that affected the peace and order situation reached 2,639, which also increased in 2023 by 72 cases or equivalent to 2.73 percent.

For crimes which are punishable by the Revised Penal Code, from 803 cases in 2022, it dropped to 766 cases or a 4.61 percent decrease, Batuan said.

Crimes punishable by special laws like gambling, illegal drugs, illegal fishing, illegal logging, carnapping, violence against women and children also increased by 232 cases or 20.90 percent. 

Batuan also showed that in 2022, police initiated 762 anti-crime operations and 1,028 in 2023.

In 2022, crimes affecting public order and safety totaled to 3,040 which went up by 13.26 percent or 403 more cases in 2023.

As to homicide, police noted a 12.09 percent decrease, from 91 cases reported in 2022 to 80 cases in 2023.

Bohol police explained that the facilitated reporting of crimes following advocacy campaigns could spur complaints of past crimes, but these are not necessarily crimes that happened within the time of reporting. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)