THE National Police said on Friday that it recorded only nine carjacking incidents from August 24 to September 27 showing a 70-percent decline in car theft this year as compared to the same period in 2014.
The force’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) said the decline of carjacking cases was attributed to the National Police anticriminality campaign Operation Plan Lambat-Sibat (Oplan Lambat-Sibat).
Based on the same record, the DIDM said the police district with most significant decrease in carjacking incidents is the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), with only one recorded incident from September 21 to 27.
Out of the 39 incidents that were recorded during the same period last year, the QCPD had 15 cases.
From September 21 to 27, the Southern Police District also recorded only one incident of carjacking, followed by Manila Police District and Eastern Police District with two incidents each, and Northern Police District with three recorded cases.
The DIDM also noted that 86 percent of the carjacked public-utility vehicles from January 5 up to September 27, were taxicabs and 12 percent were jeepneys.
On the other hand, 27 percent of stolen private vehicles were vans, followed by sedans with 19 percent, sport-utility vehicles with 18 percent and cargo trucks with 17 percent.
Also, 54 percent of carjacked vehicles were stolen while parked and 29 percent were forcibly taken.
The DIDM said 63 percent of the carjacking cases have occurred from 12 midnight to 8 a.m.
The DIDM, however, did not give the total number of carjacking cases from January up to September this year.
Because of the effects of the Oplan Lambat-Sibat against carjacking, the National Police chief, Director-General Ricardo Marquez, wanted it to be expanded by ordering the Highway Patrol Group to visit business establishments selling second-hand motor vehicles in order to ensure their legitimacy and eliminate the chances of selling stolen vehicles.
Meanwhile, the National Capital Region Police Office turned over to the five police districts in Metro Manila 180 field training officers (FTOs) and 656 police trainees in order to beef up the current number of policemen who have been downloaded to the streets for patrol duties.
The FTOs have completed their 15 days of supervisor training and would supervise the police trainees who would undergo the five months compulsory training as part of their Public Safety Field Training Program.