Crimes vs property on the rise this year
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/07/2009 9:21 AM
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MANILA - Crime against property in Metro Manila increased this year, police said, blaming it partly on its resident's lack of sense of security.
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said it has recorded a total of 8,787 cases of crimes against persons and property from January to September this year.
The NCRPO said the figure is more than a thousand cases of 26.62 percent higher compared to the same period of 2008.
Superintendent Rommel Miranda, NCRPO spokesman, said residents and business owners in Metro Manila gave too much opportunity for the robbers.
"We should avoid giving criminals opportunity. This is the primary problem," Miranda said, adding that majority of the victims of snatching are cellular phone owners who publicly display their gadgets.
On Friday, the NCRPO conducted simulations of a mall robbery to teach security guards how to react during real incidents.
The simulations were conducted as the police announced that the Flores Group, the most notorious robbery gang in the country, has already been disbanded with the death of its leader, Alvin Flores, in an encounter in Cebu City last week.
Two other top members of the group were killed in the encounter and two more have been arrested. Police said at least 15 more members of the robbery group remain at large.
The group was responsible for more than 80 big-time robberies in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon, police said.
Millions lost to car thieves
National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa, meanwhile, said car thieves take at least P300 million worth of private vehicles a year.
Verzosa said that based on records from the police's Highway Patrol Group (formerly Traffic Management Group), an average of 2 vehicles are being stolen every day.
The police chief said robbery syndicates like the Flores Group are also involved in car theft. He said robbery groups use stolen vehicles during big scores, including bank robberies.
He said car theft syndicates are now more into chopping up stolen vehicles and sell them by parts to avoid detection. With reports from Gus Abelgas and Jam Alindogan, ABS-CBN News
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