Friday, January 18, 2008 Cops urged to intensify efforts v. 'carnappers'
SAN Fernando policemen were urged by motorists and car owners to step up their operations against car thieves following two car theft incidents in the city and in Angeles City recently.
Last Sunday, a local businesswoman lost her 2005 Mitsubishi Pajero to car thieves near a rural bank not far from a police station.
Another high-end sports-utility vehicle, a Nissan Patrol, was also reported stolen in Angeles City that same day.
"The police have to continue their vigilance and visibility and, if necessary, should be more aggressive in their operations against car thieves which appear to be active in the province," concerned businessmen and motorists aired following these two incidents.
The public is concerned over possible resurgence in car theft in this city and Pampanga is buttressed by statistics that shows Central Luzon ranking third in terms of carnapping cases all over the country.
Statistics from 1999-2007 showed that Central Luzon recorded 596 carnapping incidents or an average of 66 cars per year or five cars a month. Quezon City posted 1,443 similar cases while Region IV or Southern Tagalog Region registered 818 cases.
Carnapping incidents in the country, however, dropped by 44 percent last year from 471 cases in 2006 to 260 in 2007. In Central Luzon, the cases decreased by 28 percent, from 73 in 206 to 53 in 2007.
This city is the seat of regional government and is the gateway to North and Central Luzon from Manila. It is also the center for branches of major businesses in the country such as banks, manufacturers, car dealerships and shopping malls.
With increasing economic and business activities here and other parts of the province and region, businessmen fear that criminal elements like carnappers could intensify their illegal operations in the area.
"Foreign and domestic investments in the province and region, particularly in Subic and Clark, could be hindered by increased criminal activities, notably carnapping," the businessmen said.
In a recent report, San Fernando policemen noted a substantial decrease in the volume of crimes committed last year.
