Cops monitoring phone theft ‘hot spots’

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) is closely monitoring 13 crime "hot spots" in Metro Manila to curb the rise in the number of cell phone snatching incidents.

Metro police chief Director Vidal Querol said he has also signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with officials of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to severely punish establishments selling and servicing stolen phones.

This developed after data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) revealed that cell phone theft was up by 21 percent in the first quarter of the year. Cell phones account for 52 percent of all snatching cases.

Querol tasked Chief Superintendent Napoleon Cachuela, NCRPO deputy for operations, to form a team of composite police investigators and operatives to go after mobile phone snatchers.

"The operation will also target establishments servicing and selling stolen or illegally sourced cell phones at selected malls in Metro Manila," he said.

Cachuela’s team would be responsible for the filing of cases against snatchers and establishments selling stolen units.

Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., identified the 13 cell phone snatching "hot spots" as Barangay Palatiw and the Pasig Public Market in Pasig City; Burgos street, F.B. Harrison and Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City; under the viaduct in Muntinlupa City; Monumento in Caloocan City; Novaliches and EDSA-Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City; Tondo, Binondo area in Sta. Cruz, and Legarda in Sta. Mesa in Manila.

Rojas said the NCRPO has deployed additional beat patrols and motorcycle policemen in the "hot spots."

Usually, cell phone snatchers use motorcycles to evade pursuers so we deployed motorcycle-riding cops to chase them," Rojas said.