Police: New tack cuts down crime in QC

A new anti-crime strategy adopted recently by the Quezon City Police Distirct, which requires QCPD officers doing desk jobs to render beat patrol duty, has contributed to the decline of street crime in the city, according to the city’s top police official.

Senior Superintendent Magtanggol Gatdula, QCPD director, said the deployment of more police officers in beat patrol has resulted in the arrest of more than 30 suspected snatchers, muggers and petty criminals.

QCPD operatives have also rounded up at least 12 suspected illegal drug users and pushers in the past two days.

Gatdula said the so-called duty admin duty (DAD) concept is for the deployment of policemen doing desk jobs to conduct at least three hours a day to increase police visibility in the streets to discourage crime.

"With the additional deployment of patrollers, Quezon City establishments such as bank, malls, and nightspots are literally swarmed by uniformed policemen," Gatdula said.

Aside from the DAD concept, the QCPD has also set up election monitoring centers that includes checkpoints in key areas to implement the gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections.

At least 36 people have been arrested and charged in court for gun ban violations so far, he said.

Charges of violation of the Omnibus election code were filed against the suspects, who face a minimum sentence of six years imprisonment if found guilty.

Gatdula reiterated his call to gun owners who want to bring firearms outside their homes to secure the necessary gun ban exemption from the Comelec.