Mar tells NCRPO: Send more cops to crime 'hotspots'

MANILA, Philippines - Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas has ordered the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) to deploy additional policemen to reduce the crime rate in at least eight “problem areas” in Metro Manila.

Roxas made the directive after an improvement in the crime rate in other areas were 1,300 additional personnel were deployed on a weekly basis.

"This ‘one time, big time’ deployment has had a substantial impact in areas like Pasay, Paranaque, Raxa Bago, Valenzuela and Manila," Roxas said.

He directed NCRPO head Carmelo Valmoria to order police district directors to analyze their data based on the Geographical Information System (GIF) and determine which areas needed additional personnel.

The GIF focuses on mapping incidents, identifying hot spots where the most crime occurs and analyzing the spatial relationships of targets and these hot spots.

Roxas said the 1,300 additional personnel may be divided among the said eight “problem area” which include Masambong area in Quezon City, Sampaloc in Manila, Pasig City and Mandaluyong City.

He said that the deployment must be made on a rotational basis, such that the deployed personnel may also be assigned to other problematic areas to avoid “fraternization.”

Roxas earlier ordered the hiring of additional non-uniformed personnel to handle administrative work in police stations including the encoding of incident report forms so that all police personnel will be assigned to the field.