Thursday, January 08, 2009 Cops to step up drive vs criminals
NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Leopoldo Bataoil on Wednesday ordered the five district commanders under his command to further intensify the drive against criminal syndicates in Metro Manila this year to sustain the momentum started last year.
“We shall not only be aggressive in our campaigns against crime and terrorism, but we shall moreover strengthen the cooperation between the public and the police to overcome the obstacles relative to fighting crime for the year 2009,” Bataoil said.
The new anti-crime strategy of the NCRPO, Bataoil said, involves preventive, proactive and reactive measures, community mobilization, and massive information dissemination on the modus operandi of organized crime groups, especially big-time robbery groups victimizing banks and other business establishments and crime prevention tips.
He also pushed for greater cooperation between the police and local officials as well as the private sector, which he said were instrumental in reducing crime incidence last year.
Also, as part of the drive, the NCRPO is also pushing for the recruitment of some 700 new Police Officers 1 to fill up vacant slots.
Earlier, the NCRPO has recorded a 16.6 percent deduction in the total crime volume in Metro Manila from September to November of 2008 as compared to the same period of 2007, a notable achievement that resulted in the unprecedented 49 percent approval rating of the Philippine National Police (PNP) from the Pulse Asia survey.
Bataoil also said that from January to November last year, the NCRPO has arrested 1,276 wanted persons, which is notably higher compared to the 772 of the same period of 2007. Of the 1,276 arrests, 55 were included in the most wanted list in the metropolis.
“From these gains, we look forward at 2009 with more confidence that we can surpass all the incoming challenges to the organization and to our peace and order campaign,” he added.
But the renewed police anti-criminality drive suffered a blow last year when several civilians were killed along with suspected bank robbers and a policeman in a shootout inside a Parañaque subdivision.
Several ranking police officers were also implicated in the “Euro General” scandal in Moscow, Russia that tarnished the image the 117,000-strong PNP. (AH/Sunnex)
