PNP chief lays down eight-point measures to counter bank robberies

By Ronron
February 10, 2008

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. came out over the weekend with eight measures for local police commanders to take to prevent bank robberies.

Razon issued the directive through the Directorate for Operations after a series of robbery and hold-up incidents happened in Quezon City last week.

“We are alarmed with those incidents so we are doing something to stop these incidents,” Razon said in an interview at Camp Crame late last week.

The eight measures are the following:

1) Intensify intelligence gathering and sharing among different PNP units and government law enforcement agencies;

2) Mobilize the core group of the Joint-Anti Bank Robbery Action Committee (JABRAC) and the Bank Security Manager’s Association (BSMA);

3) Develop crime-mapping in NCR (National Capital Region) to guide in the deployment of police units;

4) Intensified police visibility, mobile checkpoints especially to check on motorcycle riding persons;

5) Strict implementation of ‘No Plate, No Travel’ policy;

6) Station commanders and cops to be in the streets from 9am-3pm (banking hours) daily;

7) Intensified manhunt operations against known bank robbery suspects; and,

8) Publication of rouge’s gallery of wanted personalities engaged in bank robbery.

“The PNP is already doing something on this (series of robberies and hold up incidents in Quezon City)… We specifically directed the National Capital Region Police Office, the Quezon City Police District and the Traffic Management Group to implement the ‘No Plate, No Travel’ policy so they will work together,” Razon said.

On February 5, a supermarket earning of about P500,000 was robbed in Project 3, Quezon City by 10 motorcycle-riding armed men. A security guard was killed by the suspects in the process.

More than two hours later, a bank on Timog Avenue in the same city was robbed by several armed men, carting away an undetermined amount of money. The suspects hurt two bystanders in the incident.

On the following day, when QCPD was being awarded in Camp Crame for being the best police station in Metro Manila as the PNP was celebrating its 17th founding anniversary, another robbery incident happened, victimizing a sales agent.

The incidents were preceded by the bold heist at the Landbank branch on West Avenue in January.

The series of incidents have prompted Razon to sack two police station commanders in Quezon City and the deployment of military personnel to join policemen in conducting roving patrols./DMS