A police officer urged the city residents to formally file a complaint regarding criminal incidents they either witnessed or victimized.
Police Major Maria Teresita Gaspan, spokesperson of the Davao City Police Office stressed it is difficult for the police to act on complaints if they are not formally reported.
She told the AFP-PNP Press Corps Briefing at the Royal Mandaya Hotel those complaints like theft, pickpockets, and snatching must be reported so that the police can act accordingly.
“You have to report these incidents because once they are in our system, we can immediately act on them, “Gaspan said.
She said residents must not rant on the social media about their experiences on crimes instead they must report these incidents in order for the police to conduct investigations and eventually to catch the culprits.
Gaspan stressed the police also need to update its rouge gallery, or the compilation of pictures of the probable suspects.
She said that the social media is noisy about experiences of crimes but as far as the police record is concerned, there are only three crimes against property included in their data.
Gaspan also urged the citizenry to observe self-security by not leaving valuables inside their cars or by being watchful of their surroundings.
She admitted that the police cannot cover outrightly all areas at the same time.
Gaspan said the police also relies on the back track investigation which depends mainly on the closed-circuit television cameras of establishments.
“The identity of the perpetrators must be known especially in events where the victims are not privy to the actual incident,” she said.
At the same briefing, Captain Mark Tito, spokesperson of the 10th Infantry Division revealed the confiscation of 34 high powered firearms in various areas of operation in Davao Region through the assistance of former rebels who surrendered recently to the military authorities.
He also revealed the dismantling of guerrilla front 2 of the rebels through the area validation of the Eastern Mindanao Command.
“Eventually, we are now confronting only two guerrilla fronts in the region like the weakened guerrilla front 57 situated in between North Cotabato and Bukidnon and the weakened guerrilla front 18 in Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental,” Tito said. (PIA XI-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)
