SWS: Fear among Filipinos still high despite fewer crime victims

By Ruth Abbey Gita|SunStar

 

FEWER Filipinos were victims of crimes and violence in the past six months but fear of unsafe streets and drug addicts remained high in the last quarter of 2014, the latest survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The survey conducted from November 27 to December 1 last year found that around 6.7 percent of respondents or four million families said that they or their families were victims of crimes, involving property or physical violence.

The result was lower by 1.2 points from 7.9 percent or 4.7 million families recorded in the third quarter of 2014.

The average common crime victimization rate last year was at 7.5 percent, which is 1.1 points below the 8.5 percent average in 2013.

Around 12 crimes for every 10 victimized families, meanwhile, happened in the fourth quarter.
SWS said 6.2 percent or an estimated 3.7 million families lost property, 0.9 percent down from 7.1 percent or estimated 4.2 million in the third quarter.

It added that the annual average victimization by property crimes dropped by 1.1 points to 7 percent in 2014 from 8.1 percent in 2013.

Also, 0.7 percent of respondents or an estimated 424,000 families said they or their kin were hurt by physical violence from 1.2 percent or estimated 735,000 families.

SWS said the 2014 average for victimization by physical violence of 0.8 percent is also a new record, surpassing the previous record of 0.9 percent in 2013.

The victimization of families by any common crimes has been at single-digit levels since March 2012, except when it was at 10.5 percent in March 2013.
Other key findings:

-- Some five percent or estimated three million families were victimized by pickpockets in the past six months from the 5.5 percent or estimated 3.3 million in the third quarter.

-- Some 2.3 percent or estimated 1.4 million families were victims of burglary from 2.6 percent or estimated 1.6 million last September.

-- Some 0.7 percent or estimated 137,000 lost their vehicles to carnappers from 0.9 percent or estimated 173,000 last September.

The victimization by common crimes reported in SWS surveys is much higher than the number of crimes reported to the police.

Despite the improvement, the SWS said the “neighborhood fears stay high.”

Fifty eight percent expressed fear that robbers may break into their houses, 48 percent said they are usually afraid of walking on the street at night, and 52 percent expressed fear of drug addicts (from 60 percent, 51 percent, and 52 percent in September 2014, respectively).

The survey, which involves 1,800 respondents, has an error margin of ±2 percent for national percentages, ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, and Mindanao, and ±3 percent for Visayas. (Sunnex)