GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/19 July) — Police officials here are pushing for the creation of a localized incentive or reward system for crime witnesses and informants in a bid to enhance their crime prevention and control initiatives.
Senior Supt. Froilan Quidilla, city police director, issued such recommendation to the city council here as he admitted that their ongoing efforts to resolve the recent surge in murders and other crime-related incidents in the city were hampered by the lack of witnesses.
“Our efficiency in solving crimes is affected by adamant witnesses, inadequate personnel and logistics and (lack of) community support,” he said.
From January to June 15, the police official said they have recorded a total 802 crime-related incidents within the city’s 26 barangays.
Quidilla said 662 of these or 83 percent comprise robbery and theft cases while 48 or six percent were carnapping incidents.
In terms of murder, he said they have recorded 37 fatalities in 49 shooting incidents during the first six months of the year.
“Nine of these cases were already solved but 40 have remained unsolved,” Quidilla said in a presentation.
Of the profiling conducted by police investigators on the victims, 13 of them had involvement in illegal drug activities, 13 in theft and robbery cases, five in carnapping incidents and two in murder and homicide, he said.
Quidilla said the background of the 24 other victims was unknown or no information involving them was immediately available.
He noted that they have already created a special investigation and intelligence team that will look into these cases.
“We’re continually validating some intelligence reports that we gathered about these incidents and conducting periodic intelligence and investigation case conferences about the matter,” he said.
As part of their crime prevention and control strategies, the official said they have been conducting regular checkpoints and intensified the implementation of “operation sita and kapkap bakal” on motorists to check for possible loose firearms.
Quidilla said they have adopted an integrated patrol system to increase their visibility in various parts of the city.
Through the city police’s community relations unit, he said they have launched a series of information and awareness campaigns on crime prevention and control in various local communities.
Quidilla said the initiative included the “safer GenSan” seminar series, which focuses on providing community stakeholders with crime prevention tips and enhance their collaboration and coordination with the city police office. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)
