Major crime incidents across the Philippines fell by 12 percent in the first month of a new urban security program, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported Sunday.

Data from the PNP showed that total “focus crimes” dropped to 2,684 incidents between 6 April and 6 May, compared to 3,047 cases during the previous monitoring period.

Officials attributed the 363-case reduction to the Safer Cities Initiative, a program launched early last month to increase police presence in high-risk urban areas.

Rape and physical injury cases saw the most significant decreases. Reported rapes fell from 519 to 387, a 25.4 percent drop, while physical injury cases decreased by 24.3 percent, from 489 to 370.

Homicides declined by 14.1 percent with 85 cases recorded, while murder and robbery both saw a 7.4 percent reduction. Theft cases also trended downward by 5 percent, falling from 1,066 to 1,014.

PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said the figures reflect the success of enhanced deployment strategies and community cooperation. He noted that while focus crimes are down, the PNP remains committed to maintaining a high level of operational readiness.

“The decrease in focus crimes is the result of the continuous work of our police nationwide, alongside the support of communities and local government units,” Nartatez said in Filipino. “We will not stop until the public feels even more secure in their areas.”

The PNP also reported improvements in its investigative performance. The crime solution efficiency rate — the percentage of cases where an arrest was made and a complaint filed — rose to 68.19 percent from 64.92 percent.

The crime clearance efficiency rate, which includes cases where suspects have been identified but not yet arrested, remained high at 87.15 percent.

Nartatez stressed that the PNP remains focused on speeding up police response times and strengthening evidence-driven investigations to ensure that the “Bagong PNP” serves with speed and integrity.