CRIMES, ILLEGAL DRUGS IN MABALACAT

THE many incidents of robberies, proliferation of illegal drugs, and
related crimes have become common topics among the residents of Barangay
Dau and other villages of Mabalacat.

The townsfolk are no longer surprised when they hear that their neighbors,
relatives or friends became victims of cellular phone snatching, house
burglaries, or bicycle, moped and tricycle stealing.

It is lamentable, however, that only a very few crime victims in Mabalacat
report the incidents to policemen. Most of the victims dare not involve
themselves in the crime reporting process simply because they do not have
confidence in their policemen. They think that it would be just a waste of
time.

It may be a pitiable situation but it is the truth. Ask almost anyone in
Mabalacat if they think policemen are capable of preventing or solving
crimes and eradicating the illegal drug menace in the town and you'll
surely have a resounding NO for an answer. Some townsfolk even suspect
connivance between some unprincipled law enforcers and criminals.

Citing past experiences, a reformed drug pusher and a former thief who is
now a born-again Christian told this columnist recently that policemen
could stop crimes and illegal drugs trade if they really want to. All it
takes, the two said, is the heart to do it.

I agree with the Angeles City councilors who said earlier that police crime
statistics do not necessarily reflect reality.

Low crime indexes does not mean that people are sleeping soundly inside
their homes and could roam around outside without the fear that criminals
are just waiting for an opportunity to strike. The fact remains that a
greater percentage of crime victims refuse to seek police intervention.

This is especially true among victims of cellular phone snatching,
pickpockets and other petty crimes.

Even the once peaceful agricultural villages are now targets of thieves.
Farmers in Bical and nearby villages in Mabalacat, for instance, could no
longer leave their goats on the fields unguarded.

Agricultural equipment like irrigation motors and hand tractors are also
not safe from unscrupulous persons nowadays.

TO have a more accurate crime statistics, policemen should coordinate with
barangay captains and purok chairmen. Many crime victims usually seek the
help of either one of the two village officials.

Barangay captains could require purok chairmen to submit monthly crime
reports. The reports could then be submitted directly to the local police
chief for his guidance and intervention.

Knowing the traits of Kapampangans and Filipinos, it would be wiser for
policemen to go directly to the crime victims instead of just waiting for
the latter to file complaints in the police station.

This, however, would be applicable only in areas where the police chief and
his men are really dead serious in fighting criminals and in re-earning the
people's trust and confidence.

IT is true that we have only a few policemen compared to the number of
civilians but this should not stop our law enforcement agencies and public
officials from performing their mandate to protect the lives, wellness and
properties of the people no matter what the odds are. There are several
measures that could be taken to achieve this end. Involving the citizenry
in the fight against illegal drugs and criminality is one of them.

With the growing number of cellular phone users, law enforcement agencies
could maintain hotline numbers that people could easily reach through calls
or text messages. These hotline numbers could be posted in every public
utility vehicle and in conspicuous places for everyone to see.