THE Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has advised banks and lending firms to closely coordinate with the police in putting in place security measures, following an attempt of unidentified men to rob a lending firm in the city last Tuesday.
Senior Superintendent Jack Wanky, acting director of BCPO, said these establishments should recheck the effectiveness of their security alarms to prevent robberies.
Wanky said that three days ago, unidentified men tried to rob a lending company’s office, but due to the security alarm, the robbers failed to destroy the vault.
When the police responded, the robbers were already gone, but left their tools and acetylene supply used to destroy walls without creating a noise.
“Their modus is similar with the ‘acetylene gang.’ They would stay in a hotel near banks, pawnshops, and financial companies to monitor their target," Wanky added.
The police official clarified that such robbery group does not exist in Bacolod.
The police chief said it is important for these establishments to coordinate with the authorities for immediate response.
He also directed all 10 police chiefs to reach out to the management of the establishments under their areas of jurisdiction for more intensified security.
On Wednesday, the Bacolod City Council urged the BCPO to double or triple their effort in stopping robbery incidents.
Wanky faced the members of the City Council during the session where he presented the peace and order status of Bacolod.
Robbery cases increased by 54.65 percent in the first seven months of the year.
From January to July this year, BCPO recorded 133 robbery cases compared to 86 cases only in 2016. For the same period, the theft cases decreased by eight percent or with the total of 427 incidents compared to 458 incidents in 2016.
Councilor Caesar Distrito said police station chiefs should be more aggressive in their effort to arrest the robbers and thieves.
He added that policemen should also investigate the unsolved cases and solve killings so that Bacolodnons will again feel safe, as Bacolod is a peaceful city.