SWS: Victims of crimes fewer in Q2 but fear remains

The number of Filipinos who became victims of crimes dropped to a record low during the second quarter of 2017, a recent Social Weather Stations Survey (SWS) revealed Tuesday.

The survey, first published in Business World, showed that 3.1 percent or an estimated 706,000 families said they have been victimized by robbery, burglary (break-ins) or car theft in the past six months.

SWS said the 3.1 percent result was 3.2 points below the 6.3 percent in March 2017 and is 1.4 points below the previous record-low of 4.5 percent in December 2016.

The survey was conducted from June 23 to 26, with 1,200 adult respondents (18 years old and above) nationwide.

Respondents who said that their family members suffered from physical violence in the past six months was at 0.6 percent or an estimated 149,000 families, almost similar to the 0.7 percent in March 2017 and in December and September 2016. The survey showed a 3-point decrease in families victimized by street robbery during the past six months, which is now at 2.3 percent or an estimated 525,000 families in June 2017 from the 5.3 percent or an estimated 1.2 million in March.

The 2.3 percent result was 1 point below the previous record-low at 3.3 percent or an estimated of 754,000 families in December last year.

The survey also showed that families victimized by break-ins were down to 0.8 points from the 1.9 percent in March or an estimated 435,000 families in March to 1.1 percent or an estimated 260,000 families in June 2017.

Respondents who were robbed of any type of their motor vehicle was at 0.2 percent or 0.8 points lower than the 1 percent in March.

Families robbed of their personal property outside their homes in Metro Manila was at a record low in June 2017 with 4.3 or down by 7.7 points from 12 percent in March 2017.

Fear of unsafe streets, burglaries

The survey showed that 62 percent of the respondents in Metro Manila said they fear of being victims to burglaries, which is 3 points lower than the 65 percent in March 2017.

In Mindanao, however, it rose by 11 points from 49 percent in March to 61 percent in June. There was also an increase of 2 points in the Visayas, from 48 percent in March 2017 to 50% in June 2017.

In Balance Luzon, it rose 1 point from 60 percent in March 2017 to 61 percent in June 2017.

Meanwhile, the fear of unsafe streets was at 51 percent in Metro Manila, a 3 points decrease from the 54 percent in March 2017.

In Balance Luzon, it fell by 2 points from 54 percent in March 2017 to 52 percent in June.

In Mindanao, however, it rose by from 42 percent in March 2017 to 55 percent in June while a 1 point increase was seen in the Visayas, from 47 percent in March 2017 to 48 percent in June.

Drugs addicts, carnapping

The same survey found out that 54 percent respondents in Metro Manila believed that there are drug addicts in their neighborhood. This was 11 points lower from the 65 percent in March 3017.

There was also a decrease of 9 points in Balance Luzon, which is now at 48 percent.

In Mindanao, however, it rose by 4 points, which is now at 48 percent, and the numbers in Visayas also rose by 3 points, which is now at 43 percent.

The survey also found out that vehicle-owning families who experienced carnapping fell by 1.4 points in Metro Manila, which is now at 2 percent.

The same survey showed that there were no cases of carnapping in the Visayas, Balance Luzon and Mindanao samples.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella welcomed the result, saying the government’s anti-crime efforts and war on illegal drugs were “yielding positive results.”

“The government’s campaign against crimes and illegal drugs has resulted in less robberies, less physical violence, less fear of being in public spaces,” Abella said.

“Efforts ensuring public safety in the first year of the Duterte administration are yielding positive results; however, more needs to be accomplished in making sure that our streets, neighborhoods and communities are kept permanently safe, not only within Metro Manila but also in the rest of the country,” he added. /je