Number of Pinoy crime victims drops in Q1 of 2018 — SWS

The number of Filipino families who were victims of common crimes went down in the past six months, according to the latest survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS) released on Thursday, June 21.

In its First Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey, the SWS revealed that 6.6 percent or about 1.5 million Filipino families fell victim to common crimes such as pickpocket or robbery of personal property, break-ins, carjacking, and physical violence.

“This is 1.0 point below the 7.6% (est. 1.7 million) in December 2017, but 0.5 point above the 6.1% annual average victimization by any of the common crimes for 2017,” the pollster said.

According to the latest figure, there is 6.1 percent or about 1.4 million families that lost their property to street robbery, burglars (break-ins), or carjackers within the past six months.

This result is one point below the 7.1 percent last December 2017, but SWS said it is 0.5 point above the 2017 annual average victimization by property crimes of 5.6 percent.

The survey also found out that there is 0.6 percent or 145,000 Filipino families with members hurt by physical violence, a 0.2 point below the 0.8 percent last December, and similar to the 0.6 percent or estimated 149,000 recorded in June 2017.

SWS said victimization by common crimes reported in its surveys is much ‘higher’ than the number of crimes being reported to the police.

“Except in March 2013 and June 2016 when it was at 10.5% and 11.4% respectively, victimization of families by any common crime was at single-digit levels from March 2012 to March 2018,” it said.

“Meanwhile, except in June 2016 when it was 10.9%, victimization of property crimes was also at single-digit levels from March 2012 to March 2018,” it added.

Since 1989, the SWS has been asking respondents of each quarterly survey whether any member of the family became a victim of street robbery, home break-in, or violence in the past six months.

It was in 1992 when the SWS included motor vehicle theft to its list of crimes specifically monitored.

Fewer break-ins and carjacking

The latest survey also revealed that 2.2 percent or an estimated of 516,000 families were victimized by break-ins. This result is 1.2 points lower from the 3.4 percent or about 790,000 recorded in December 2017.

“Of families owning any type of motor vehicle, the survey found that 0.5% (est. 51,000) were robbed of it in the past six months, down by 0.7 points from the 1.2% (est. 108,000) in December 2017,” the SWS noted.

The number of families victimized by street robbery, meanwhile, remained at 4.6 percent or about 1.1 million.

Decline in fear of burglary, unsafe streets, drug addicts

The SWS, since 1985, has always included two survey items on whether Filipinos in the neighborhood are usually afraid that robbers might break into their homes and to walk in the streets at night because it is not safe.

In 2005, the pollster added the item on whether there are many drug addicts in the neighborhood.

The March 2018 survey showed that 54 percent of Filipino adults agreed with the statement, “In this neighborhood, people are usually afraid that robbers might break into their houses.”

“This is down by 5 points from the 59% in December 2017, and similar to the 54% in September 2017,” the pollster said.

Meanwhile, a total of 46 percent of Filipinos agreed with the statement, “In this neighborhood, people are usually afraid to walk in the street at night because it is not safe,” which is two points lower from the 48 percent in December 2017 and the lowest since the 42 percent in April 2016.

Lesser Filipinos also believed that there are a lot of drug addicts in their neighborhood compared from the 42 percent recorded last December.

In its statement, the Palace welcomed the result of SWS’s recent survey which showed a decline in the number of families who fell victims to common crimes in the first quarter of 2018.

“Indeed, significant strides have been made in our campaign against illegal drugs and crimes as families reported fewer break-ins and carnapping,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said on Thursday.

“Fear of burglary, fear of unsafe streets, and presence of drug addicts in the neighborhood had likewise dropped as disclosed by respondent families,” he added.

Roque noted that such public sentiment is “certainly a big boost” to the morale of the country’s law enforcers as they vow to continue to ensure the safety of all Filipinos.

The SWS survey, done from March 23 to 27, used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above), with sampling error margins of plus-minus 2.5 percent for national percentages and plus-minus six percent each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.