Roxas commends PNP for drop in NCR crime rate
WITH the continuing drop in the crime rate in the National Capital Region (NCR), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II congratulated the Philippine National Police (PNP) for a job well done during the latest weekly “Oplan Lambat-Sibat” meeting.
Roxas said that in just a year of the “Lambat-Sibat” campaign, the DILG and PNP accomplished a lot by keeping a decreasing trend in the NCR crime rate and going after the most wanted persons in Metro Manila.
“Thousands of people were spared being victims because of your work, and that’s something you should be proud of. Something I am proud of” Roxas said.
Since the Lambat campaign began in June 2014, the number of crimes in Metro Manila was reduced by more than 60 percent as of mid-June 2015. From an average of 919 incidents last year, criminality went down to 315 incidents this year.
These incidents included street crimes like robbery, theft, carnapping and and stealing of motorcycles.
“Oplan Lambat,” from its name, is designed to net petty criminals. Each strand represents a smaller police operation, such as increased checkpoints, mobile and beat patrols, and intensified serving of arrest warrants.
Furthermore, the proverbial long arm of the law has eventually caught 438 Most Wanted Persons in over the past 10 months of relentless Sibat operations in the National Capital Region.
Those arrested represented 73 percent of the total 603 Most Wanted Persons recorded in the NCRPO watchlist of suspects wanted by the law for alleged involvement in criminal activity.
The PNP Directorate for Intelligence also noted that out of 75 criminal gangs being watched by the PNP operatives, 43 percent were neutralized and 32 percent were degraded.
However, elements of different PNP units are still on guard and looking for the remaining 25 percent of active criminal gangs in the NCR.