PNP: Theft, rape, physical injury most prevalent crimes in last 6 months

Theft, rape, and physical injury were the most prevalent crimes recorded from July 2022 to January 2023, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said Monday.

Data from the PNP showed that from July 2022 to January 2023, the PNP recorded 6,682 theft cases, an increase from the 6,304 theft cases recorded from July 2021 to January 2022.

Rape cases, meanwhile, decreased to 3,762 in the past six months from the 5,192 cases recorded during the same period in 2021 and 2022.

“For both six-month periods, theft, rape, and physical injury registered as [the] top three most prevalent crimes,” Azurin said in a media briefing in Camp Crame.

According to Azurin, the country’s peace and order indicator (POI) dropped by 6.37% or 7,178 incidents from 112,746 cases in 2021 to 105,568 cases in 2022.

He said the POI also decreased by 7.35% in Luzon, by 12.29% in Mindanao, while it increased by 5.65% in the Visayas.

Meanwhile, the average monthly PIO crime rate decreased by 6.34% to 15.66.

Azurin said index crimes also decreased from 21,185 to 19,484.

“Crime solution remains at a high 81.78% in 2022, increasing slightly from the 80.51 record in 2021,” he said.

According to Azurin, the PNP will focus on cybercrimes in 2023.

“It is now the fastest growing transnational organized crime which affects hundreds of victims not only in the Philippines but in other parts of the world. It is one of the greatest threats to million users of cyberspaces who have entrusted their personal data online,” he said. —KBK, GMA Integrated News