The capital city still tops in the November statistics on shooting incidents provincewide.

Police Superintendent Ricky Delelis, spokesperson of the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO), reported during the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting on December 15 that seven of the 11 shooting incidents recorded in November still have undetermined motive.

Six of the cases were recorded in Tagbilaran City wherein one was found to be drug-related, one was attributed to theft and robbery, while four remain a puzzle.

Danao ranked second with two shooting incidents wherein one was drug-related, the other was attributed to personal grudge.

In Candijay, investigators linked the shooting incident recorded in November to personal grudge.

One shooting incident was recorded in each of the towns of Sierra-Bullones, Buenavista, and Tubigon wherein the motives are still undetermined.

Of the 11 shooting incidents, only one—recorded in Tagbilaran, survived.

In the campaign against loose firearms, the BPPO conducted 172 operations from January to November, resulting to the arrest of 98 persons and filing of 190 cases in court.

From the operations, the police confiscated 191 firearms, 66 of which were high-powered and 125 were low-powered.

The crime volume increased from 582 in October to 638 in November.

Index crimes decreased from 340 to 295, while the non-index crimes—those resulting from the implementation of special laws—increased from 242 to 343.

In the index crimes, theft still topped the record with 171 in October that reduced to 141 in November.

Physical injury ranked next, posting increase from 32 incidents in October to 58 in November.

Robbery followed with 34 incidents in October that increased to 57 in November.

Carnapping reduced from 15 in October to nine in November.

Incidents of murder increased from eight in October to 15 in November, while rape also increased from two in October to three in November.

Cattle rustling decreased from five incidents in October to three in November.

With traffic-related incidents, the record for physical injury could have reached 150, and homicide could have reached 12 cases.

In his assessment, Delelis said the increase of non-index crimes “is a result of the series of police-initiated operations and as expected, the index crimes decreased”.

“Economic crimes such as theft and robbery are the most prevalent crimes. However, there should be no let up in the fight against robbers and thieves. Instead, efforts should be exhausted to continue to combat such activities,” according to Delelis.

Delelis continued to call on the public to remain “vigilant at all times most specially   in the Yuletide season despite the decrease in index crimes”.