Text messages help anti-crime campaign

The National Capital Region Police Office’s (NCRPO) Magic Eye Txt Patrol 2910 is working wonders for the government’s campaign against criminality with more and more Filipinos all over the country reporting crime through text messages.

"It is nice to know that even residents outside Metro Manila are reporting crimes through the Magic Eye 2910," said NCRPO chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco.

He noted that the text messages are sent to Magic Eye 2910 from as far as Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, and 12 and even from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

In Metro Manila, for the months of March and April alone, the municipality of San Juan and the cities of Pasay and Makati reported 100 percent action rate on all text messages received.

Reports of kidnapping incidents, bomb threats, carnapping, robbery, murder, theft, snatching, shooting incidents, cases of illegal possession of firearms, prostitution, selling of pirated CDs, operation of video karera machines, vehicular accidents, hit-and-run incidents, fire, smoke-belching cases, graft and corruption and even complaints about police harrassment and extortion have been received by the Metro Manila police through text messages

Launched in October last year, Magic Eye Txt Patrol 2910 is the NCRPO’s pioneering and innovative strategy in its bid to thwart crime as it happens.

"It was really devised to hasten the flow of vital information and provide the citizenry a participatory program and network, whereby they can contribute actively in reporting to the police emergency crimes in the making," said Velasco.

The NCRPO chief noted that in March, the action rate for the Western Police District (WPD) is 64 percent; Central Police District (CPD), 78 percent; Eastern Police District (EPD) — Marikina, 43 percent; Pasig City, 33 percent; Mandaluyong, 40 percent, and San Juan, 100 percent; Northern Police District (NPD) — Caloocan, 65 percent; Malabon, 64 percent; Southern Police District (SPD)— Pasay, 79 percent; Makati, 48 percent; Parañaque, 31 percent; Las Piñas 45 percent; Muntinlupa, 67 percent and Taguig, 60 percent.

In April, Velasco said the action rate for the WPD is 83 percent; CPD, 75 percent: for EPD – Marikina, 50 percent; San Juan, 50 percent; NPD — Caloocan, 63 percent; Navotas, 50 percent; Valenzuela, 75 percent; SPD — Pasay, 100 percent; Makati City, 100 percent, and Taguig, 67 percent.

Under the project, Magic Eye volunteers are authorized to send reports of on-going crimes, police abuses and other emergencies through text message.

Simply type CW, write main message, then send to Magic Eye Number 2910. Message is acknowledged by Globe and Smart and sent to the NCRPO for verification. The process takes less than a minute.

Another feature of Magic Eye is its capability of providing instant police alert or "iwas-krimen" tips by simply texting "ALERT" or "TIPS" to 2910.

"The system enables the citizenry to report to the police any crime in progress. A Magic Eye citizen can relay specific information like crime location, general description of a criminal, the vehicle used, including type, make, model, color and most importantly the plate number," the NCRPO chief added.

Upon receipt of such report, the tactical operations center immediately relays the message to police operatives.Location of suspects can easily be tracked down with the help of cellphone subscribers present in the crime area. This will reduce the criminal’s movements and his chances of escape.