Neg. Occ. crime volume
down 2 percent: Franco

Crime volume in Negros Occidental registered at 359 in the past six months of 2007, a reduction of almost two percent compared to crimes committed last year, which was 365, police records show.

Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director, said of the 359 incidents in the two quarters of 2007, there were 223 index crimes, or crime against persons and properties, and 136 non-index crimes. Although there was a reduction in the non-index crimes from 150 to 136, index crimes rose slightly from 215 last year to 223 this year, police records also showed.

The average monthly crime rate in Negros Occidental also registered at three 3 incidents per 100,000 population.

To further boost their anti-criminality campaign, Franco, who appeared at the session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental on Tuesday, solicited financial and logistical support from the board members, for the training of policemen and to speed up solution of unsolved cases and arrest of the suspects.

Franco also enumerated problems confronting by the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office ranging from the shortage of vehicles and communication equipment, to logistical and financial support, for them to effectively carry out their work as law enforcers.

In the anti-drug campaign, 31 violators were nabbed, which led to the confiscation of 81. 85 grams of suspected shabu and 2.2 kilos of dried marijuana leaves, estimated to have a market value of P207,000.

NOPPO also recovered 108 assorted firearms, including three explosives, and arrested 77 persons for illegal possession of firearms, nabbed 103 persons for illegal gambling and confiscated P10,921 in alleged cash bets.*GPB

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'Shoplifters' nabbed
by mall guards

Two persons were arrested by department store security guards for allegedly leaving the establishment without paying for the items they had taken in Bacolod City yesterday, the police said.

Florendo Gonzales, 22, said he was just hoping to win a prize in a shampoo promo when he took 12 sachets of the product at Lopue's San Sebastian and put them in his purse without paying for them at about 3 p.m. yesterday.

The store's guard, Randy Villaflor, endorsed him to Police Station 1 after he was caught in a brief chase.

"I just want to try if I can win a cellphone," Gonzales said.

Recovered from Gonzales, who is from Purok Katilingban, Brgy. 39, Bacolod City, were the 12 sachets of two shampoo varieties all costing a total of P45.60, police records showed.

Gonzales said that he just ran when Villaflor and another store employee threatened to beat him. He claimed that the guard and the unidentified employee manhandled him in the store's service vehicle on the way to the police station.

He said, however, that he is willing to ask for forgiveness from the department store management.

Meanwhile, Raymund Malunes, 46, of Brgy. Tubod, Calatrava town, Negros Occidental, was also endorsed by another Lopue's San Sebastian guard to Police Station 1when he left the store without paying for the bottles of cologne he took yesterday, police records showed.

Security guard Junvee Soliman recovered the two bottles of cologne worth P215.25 each from Malunes, police reports said.*PP

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