Cops launch dragnet vs crime gangs

Metro Manila police chief Director Reynaldo Varilla ordered yesterday all police chiefs to intensify the crackdown against members of 183 criminal gangs as part of the new campaign to reduce street crimes in the metropolis by 20 percent this year.

Varilla said field commanders can initiate their own strategy in the war against street crimes this year.

"The field commanders knew their areas of responsibilities very well so it’s up to them to decide what formula would turn out to be successful in our effort to bring street crimes down further," he said.

To achieve their goal of a lesser street crimes this year, Varilla directed the five police district directors and 37 station commanders to dismantle the 183 criminal groups operating in 63 crime-prone areas of Metro Manila.

"We have already identified them (gangmen). The more criminal groups we dismantle this year would mean a safer streets for Metro Manilans," he stressed.

He said the police will seek the support of the community, other government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and nongovernment organizations to neutralize criminals and keep families safe within the year.

"As much as possible, we want no high profile crimes like bank robbery and killings of media personalities in the metropolis this year," said Varilla, noting that the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) had delivered and improved police service last year despite the lack of human and material resources.

Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales, director of the Southern Police District (SPD) said they also identified the most prevalent street crimes committed in the crime prone areas of the metropolis.

"We are studying what went wrong with our campaign against street crimes last year and institute remedial measures so criminals would be locked up in jail for good," said Rosales, noting that the most common petty crimes committed last year were cellphone snatching, tutok-kalawit, pickpocket, and salisi.

The NCRPO chief claimed that they were able to reduce the crime volume in Metro Manila last year after the police minimized bank robberies and kidnap-for-ransom cases. He added that more wanted criminals were also arrested.

Varilla congratulated the 15,000-strong NCRPO personnel, "for living up to the expectation of our people and national leadership in finest tradition of service, honor and justice. We accomplished our mission and we did it well," he added.

The streets, he said, became safer than ever because of the NCRPOs presence wherever and whenever the citizens’ need their policemen.

"We had our ups and downs during the year that passed. But in the end, we managed to withstand the storm and rise back to our feet," Varilla told his five district directors and 37 station commanders who paid him the traditional New Year’s courtesy call Friday at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. "Through it all, service to God, country and people was never compromised despite our handicap of some operational limitations and the perennial obstacles we had to hurdle.