For PNP, it’s the season for robbers, shoplifters

MANILA, Philippines - The public should be on alert for robbers and shoplifters as the Christmas season starts in the country, the Philippine National Police (PNP) warned yesterday.

PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez said crime can happen to anyone at the most unexpected time, and to combat crime the public must be kept informed of the various modus operandi of criminals.

Marquez also called on the public to continuously support the PNP’s anti-crime campaign Lambat Sibat.

"While the PNP is fielding additional foot and mobile patrollers, the public must also be aware of what is really happening in their communities and in the streets," he added.

The PNP started implementing Lambat Sibat in June 2014 and since then, the PNP has seen a significant decrease in the number of crimes.

According to the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), cases of robbery and theft decreased from an average of 794 cases per week in June 2014 to January 2015, to 273 in August 24 to 30.

A DIDM study also showed that shoplifting comprised 20 percent of theft cases and that 27 percent of recorded robbery incidents occurred from midnight to 4 a.m.

The DIDM’s study also identified streets, residential areas, and public utility vehicles as the places where robberies are most likely happen.

Even if cases of robbery and theft in Metro Manila are decreasing, Marquez wants the public to be more observant and alert at all times.

National Capital Region Police Office director Chief Superintendent Joel Pagdilao said he started deploying 70 percent of NCR’s 19,000-strong police personnel to strengthen security operations in the ground.

The PNP’s Oplan Lambat-Sibat regularly audits crime incident reports at the police station level and use the data to identify “crime hot spots” and “crime patterns” where intensified police intervention is necessary.

These interventions include strategically placed checkpoints, foot and mobile patrols, focused and intelligence-driven operations against most wanted persons and members of criminal gangs.