Despite dip in crime incidence, cops mustn’t relax—PNP

MANILA, Philippines—Amid the success of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) anti-crime strategy, police officials and personnel should not relax, citing that they are expected to maintain their performance.

“Kailangan talaga nilang umayos, mga station commanders and chief of police, kung ‘di magrereflect ‘yan sa statistics,” PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said.

(The station commanders and chief of police really need to shape up because their performance will reflect in the statistics.)

Cerbo on Wednesday bannered the downward trend in crime rate in the metro since the implementation of the “Operation Lambat-Sibat,” which was initiated by Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas.

From last June 2014, the average number of 919 robbery and theft cases went down by 442 cases in a span of 9 weeks.

From February 23 to March 1, 2015, robbery and theft in NCR went down by 20 incidents from 410 to 390 incidents compared with the previous week last February 16 to 22.

Cerbo said that the records and statistics are being monitored weekly by Roxas and the PNP leadership.

The spokesperson said in NCR alone, the PNP has formed an independent group to validate crime statistics “so it’s impossible to tamper crime figures.”

“During our meetings, we can see that there are places where crime statistics go high instead of decreasing and we are not whitewashing it,” he said.

The police spokesman reiterated that given the program’s success, the PNP leadership will soon start cascading the anticrime strategy in the regions.

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