1,300 cops sent to crime-prone areas – Roxas

MANILA, Philippines - A total of 1,300 police officers have been deployed in crime-prone areas in Metro Manila, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas said yesterday.

He said he ordered the National Capital Region Police Office to deploy additional police officers to reduce the crime rate in the metropolis’ “problem areas:” Masambong, EDSA-E. Rodriguez and Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City; Sampaloc and University Belt in Manila; Monumento in Caloocan; Baclaran in Pasay; and Kalentong and Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong.

Roxas issued the directive after receiving reports that there was a marked improvement in the crime rate in other areas where additional personnel had been deployed on a weekly basis.

Roxas said there must be a regular rotation of personnel to avoid “fraternization.”

He also directed NCRPO chief Director Carmelo Valmoria to instruct Metro Manila’s five police district directors to use Geographical Information System (GIS) and determine which areas need additional personnel.

The GIS focuses on mapping incidents, identifying hot spots where the most crimes occur and analyzing the spatial relationships of targets and these hot spots.