Index crimes in Metro Manila have declined by 8 percent, less than a month after PNP Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III assumed the top police post, according to the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).
NCRPO Director Maj. Gen. Anthony A. Aberin stated that from June 2 to June 18, days after Torre took oath as PNP chief, crime incidents dropped to 247 — a major decline from the 270 reported cases from May 16 to June 1.
Aberin said that the decrease in index crimes is attributable to the effectiveness of their current approach and the new police chief’s strong leadership, complemented with successful localized crime prevention strategies.
“But while there is a decrease in index crimes, the objective of the Chief PNP is to go beyond statistics, and ensure that the swift and responsive service of the PNP will translate to a genuine feeling of safety and security of the people. This will be the anchor of our actions and our ultimate direction,” Aberin added.
Index crimes are a set of serious crimes including murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, carnapping, and motorcycle theft. It is often used by the PNP as a parameter in determining the overall crime situation in a specific area.
It can be recalled that shortly after taking over the helm of the PNP on June 2, Torre introduced his flagship policies to the public which include 5-minute police response time, revamped police organization through more stringent discipline, and the ramping up of “legal” arrests, contrary to the previous administration’s “extrajudicial” approach.