ILOILO CITY: It is much safer living and doing business in the southern city of Iloilo in western Visayas, according to a report from the Philippine National Police.

This is because the city topped the list of provinces and cities in Region VI with a significant decrease in crime volume for the period January to November 2012 by showing a very stable peace and order situation.

In a year-ender report to the Regional Peace and Order Council this week on the volume of crimes recorded within a provincial capitol, Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr., police regional director, said that Iloilo topped the list with a decrease of 33 percent or 463 incidents in both index and non-index crimes.

Negros Occidental follows with 25 percent or 476 incidents, Iloilo province with 16 percent or 185 incidents, Bacolod City with 9 percent or 181, Capiz with 8 percent or 56, Antique with 7 percent or 30 and Aklan with 3 percent or 29 incidents.

On the other hand, Guimaras Island increased its crime volume by 19 percent or 24 incidents.

Cruz said that his command based at Camp Martin Delgado in Iloilo City recorded 5,308 index crimes and 1,903 non-index crimes for a total crime volume of 7,211 from January to November 2012 in the region.

The crime volume decreased by 1,396 incidents or 16.22 percent when compared to the same period last year. Index crimes decreased by 782 incidents or 12.84 percent, while non-index crimes by 614 incidents or 24.39 percent.

The most prevalent index crime is theft, which is 1,615 or 30.43 percent of the total index crime followed by physical injury, which is 1,494 or 28.15 percent and robbery, which is 835 or 15.73 percent.

The most prevalent non-index crimes are violation of special laws such as Republic Act 9287 or the Anti-Illegal Gambling Act with a total number of 578 or 37.46 percent followed by Act 8294 or Loose Firearms Act with 310 or 20.09 percent and Act 9165 or the Anti-Illegal Drugs Act with 287 incidents or 18.60 percent.

Index crime in the provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental and in the city of Iloilo decreased when compared with the same period last year. Iloilo topped the list with a decrease of 37 percent or 388 incidents, followed by Negros Occidental with 28 percent or 395 incidents.

Iloilo province, meanwhile, has 13 percent or 120 incidents, Aklan with 8 percent or 59 incidents and Capiz with 6 percent or 32 incidents.

However, index crime of Bacolod City, Guimaras and Antique increased. Bacolod increased by 20 percent or 199 incidents, Guimaras by 12 percent or 11 incidents and Antique by 1 percent or two incidents.

Index crimes such as murder, physical injury, robbery, theft, carjacking and cattle rustling, decreased when compared with the same period last year. Theft topped the list with a decrease of 23 percent or 484 incidents, followed by cattle rustling 16 percent or five incidents, carjacking 13 percent or 24 incidents, physical injury 10 percent or 165 incidents, murder 9 percent or 47 incidents and robbery also by 9 percent or 80 incidents, while homicide has the same number of incidents, 253 in 2011 and 2012. However, rape cases increased by 5 percent or 23 incidents.

Of the 7,211crime volume, 2,791 or 38.70 percent were cleared and 2,340 or 32.45 percent were solved. Comparatively, crime cleared and crime solved decreased significantly showing effective crime solution efficiency in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo province and city.