THE Highway Patrol Group (HPG) 7 will train local police operatives to detect a stolen motorcycle at a single glance.
At least 35 seized motorcycles that are believed to have been stolen are waiting to be claimed by their owners at the Camp Sotero Cabahug on Gorordo Ave., Cebu City.
“We’re coordinating on how we go about with our usual suspects as far as motorcycle-stealing, or motornapping, is concerned,” said Senior Supt. Jose Macanas, director of the HPG 7.
Macanas said the owner should report directly to the HPG 7 headquarters in Camp Sotero if his or her motorcycle has been stolen.
Need for coordination
That way the HPG 7 can alert its operatives guarding major seaboards in the island to inspect any motorcycle about to board a sea vessel and also include the vehicles in its list of “hot cars.”
Since most of the stolen motorcycles are confiscated in checkpoints and other local police-initiated operations, Macanas said station operatives will only have to check HPG records for the owner’s identity.
If the owner does not report the theft to the HPG 7, his or her name and vehicle will not be on the list, making it hard for authorities to contact him or her if the motorcycle is recovered.
“Dapat coordinated tayo lahat (We all have to coordinate with each other),” he said in a press conference.
The owner will have to bring legal documents, such as an official receipt, to support his or her claim when checking motorcycles in the custody of the Cebu City Police Office, according to Supt. Artemio Ricabo.
Last week, 22 motorcycles were left unclaimed by their owners at the compound, said Ricabo, deputy director administration.
Last Saturday afternoon, operatives of the Mambaling police seized 13 motorcycles parked outside the house of a suspected leader of a motornapping group in Barangay Duljo-Fatima.
The motorcycles were immediately brought to the Camp Sotero and impounded together with the 22 motorcycles.