TO INTENSIFY the crackdown against petty crimes, the administrator of the Tabunok Public Market in Talisay City, Cebu has asked victims to press charges against the perpetrators.
City Market Administrator Winnie Bas said they have recorded three theft incidents for the past two months.
Most of the victims were unknowing customers who got preoccupied with their grocery shopping.
The perpetrators, though, were caught by the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed in the market’s premises.
Last Friday, Feb. 21, an alleged thief was beaten by vendors after he was reportedly caught stealing.
In August 2019, Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. ordered the immediate purchase of 14 CCTV cameras for the market.
The move was in response to complaints from vendors who had become victims of petty crimes.
Some vendors alleged that thieves in the market did not only steal their money, but had also taken their buckets filled with fish.
Bas, though, lamented that while the security cameras can help address the proliferation of petty crimes in the market, it can only do so much.
He urged victims to come forward and file charges against the culprits in order to set an example to those who are planning to cause trouble in the market.
The Talisay City Police Station is also conducting regular monitoring in the area to heighten surveillance.
Victims are advised to immediately report to authorities to fast-track the arrest of the perpetrators.
Bas said they have also prepared a list of persons caught stealing in the market to tighten security measures. (FMD, RTF)