Make the streets safer

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Managing Editor ANTONIETA B. LOPEZ Business Editor ODETTE MONTELIBANO Desk Editor MARY ANN BARCELONA Advertising Coordinator RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete

ANDRES R. LEONARDIA Managing Director

The continued economic hardships Bacoleños and Negrenses are facing are manifested in what is going on mostly in the sidewalks and streets of the city.

Blotters show almost daily incidence of thefts, snatchings, bag slashings and even hold-ups -- like the case of a woman who just stepped out of the water district office and four students who were divested of their belongings one early morning last week. In a number of cases, even taxi or trisikad passengers end up victims of people who are supposed to deliver them safely to their destinations.

The times are, indeed, hard that unscrupulous individuals could no longer think of more creative and productive ways to meet their daily needs, specially preying on the unsuspecting for some quick dough.

This leads us to wonder how this can happen in a city and province where police units often get citations for outstanding performance. We do not want to think that culprits and criminal characters are smarter than the cops that they can stage their operations successfully either in public transport, sidewalks and residential areas without being caught.

Apparently, the police need to demonstrate greater visibility with their presence alone supposedly deterring criminal characters from violating laws of order and peace. Ironically, the incidents continue to occur at about the same rate at a time when the police department have fielded brand-new vehicles in its operations.

While we know that our police officers are doing their best in maintaining peace and order and deterring crime, we believe they must do more otherwise, the news pages and the broadcast news will continue to be dominated, by stories of snatchings, thefts, robberies, hold-ups and the like.*