BAGUIO CITY — Crime in Baguio increased by 3 percent during the first five months of the year compared to the same period in 2025, driven largely by a spike in theft and robbery, according to local authorities.

The Baguio City Police Office reported 300 total index and non-index crimes from January to May, up from 292 crimes during the same period last year.

The data was presented during a recent joint second-quarter meeting of the City Peace and Order Council and the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council.

While non-index crimes dropped to 166 cases from 184 last year, index crimes — which include serious offenses against persons and property — rose nearly 23 percent, from 109 to 134 cases.

Police Col. Ruel Tagel, the BCPO director, said the increase in index crimes was largely driven by property crimes.

He cited that these incidents primarily occurred during rush hours and late-night hours in areas lacking closed-circuit television monitoring systems.

Tagel attributed most robbery and theft cases to repeat offenders facing socio-economic challenges. He added that motorcycle thefts typically occurred at night in undesignated parking areas.

Because of several ongoing investigations, the police department registered a slight decrease in both crime solution and crime clearance efficiency.

In response, local police are adjusting personnel deployment and increasing inspections of business establishments. Businesses operating without active security cameras are being referred to the city government for administrative action.

The police department is also coordinating with village officials to monitor repeat offenders, expanding its "Panag-aywan ti Kailyan" 2.0 public safety initiative, and stepping up the enforcement of local ordinances.

Investigators are undergoing additional training and workshops to improve case monitoring and tracking.