Additional policemen will be deployed in the streets of Metro Manila and other urban areas across the country to prevent the rise of robbery and other petty crimes which the Philippine National Police (PNP) said come with the onset of “ber” months.

“If we based it on the previous years, there is an increase in the months leading to December,” said PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa in an interview.

Verzosa said among the usual criminal activities that rise in the “ber” months are the crime against property such as robberies, holdup and snatching.

But the official said they have already prepared anti-criminality measures based on their experiences in the past in order to control or lessen, if not totally stamp out the rising number of crime incidents from September to December every year.

“Increase police visibility will be the factor in maintaining peace and order and also in bringing down criminal incidents so we will have to rely on it and on the alertness of our personnel during this period,” said Verzosa.
 
By police visibility, Verzosa said more cops will be stationed and will conduct regular patrol in crime-prone areas in Metro Manila and other urban areas in the provinces.

In Metro Manila, the official said the installation of a number of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in busy streets and other crime-prone areas will also complement the police visibility program, especially in busting those who committed the crime.

Verzosa said he also directed police commanders to beef up intelligence-gathering, especially against organized robbery syndicates.

“Our intelligence units will be the ones targeting syndicated crime groups,” said Verzosa.

“We will also be conducting more aggressive operations against these groups in order to curb the usual trend of rising crime incidents in this period,” he said.

While he emphasized the need to hunt down both small-time and big-time robbers, Verzosa said he also made it a point to police commanders to continue the campaign against loose firearms.

“Loose firearms are usually the ones being used in criminal activities so our intensive operations to account for these unlicensed guns will also serve as a deterrent in criminal activities,” said Verzosa.