"We are presently analyzing the areas in Metro Manila which are heavily congested at a certain time and deploy immediately our resources there to prevent the occurrence of street crimes," said Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco.
At present, the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) has identified eight crime-prone areas in the metropolis where their "Task Force Tulungan" is heavily concentrated. The areas are the Caloocan City police station, the Cubao and Kamuning police stations in Quezon City, the Mandaluyong City police station, and the University Belt, Tondo and Pandacan police stations in Manila.
Under the Tulungan concept, some 200 policemen from the Regional Special Action Unit (RSAU), Regional Intelligence and Special Operations Office (RISOO) and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) will be deployed in the eight crime-prone areas. They will be augmented by elements from the Motorcycle-Mounted Police Reaction Teams (MMPRT) under the Pulis Mabilis and Huli Agad programs.
Velasco, Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. formally launched Task Force Tulungan last week with Cubao and Kamuning police stations as its pilot areas.
Tasked to oversee the pilot areas was Senior Superintendent Napoleon Castro who has under his wing 32 riders and 22 motorcycles to enhance the police campaign against the commission of street crimes in Quezon City.
"The deployment of motorbike-mounted cops is included in the measures put into action by the NCRPO to thwart the commission of street crimes such as car theft, cellular phone snatching and petty robberies," said Velasco.
According to Velasco, "Time Clock" will complement Tulu-ngan. "As soon as we establish the remaining crime-prone areas, our police district directors will immediately deploy resources within their capability to prevent street crimes," said Velasco in an interview. Under the "time clock" scheme, the five police district directors will take down the type and time of crimes committed and the get-away areas of the criminal gangs. The police intelligence agents will then identify the members of the syndicates, prepare their photos and post them in strategic places to warn the public against their modus operandi. "We will deploy police agents in the entry and exit points of their hideout so we can monitor and catch them en flagrante," said Velasco, referring to the criminal gangs.
The other areas being analyzed by the NCRPO are shopping malls, commercial centers and places where main stations of the Light Railway Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) are located.
According to Velasco, once the Tulungan is found effective in the Cubao and Kamuning areas, the same concept will be implemented in the remaining established crime-prone places until the whole of Metro Manila is covered and the crime rate is reduced to its lowest level.