The Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO) deployed 50 teams for its Motorized Anti-Street Crime Operatives (MASCO) program last Wednesday to further ensure the safety and security of the communities in the province.

PPPO director P/Col. Redrico Maranan said mission of MASCO’s 50 teams (eight police officers and 500 motorcycle-riding operatives from different police stations) is to preempt motorcycle-riding suspects (MRS) from committing criminal activities in the province.

Maranan said the teams will regularly conduct patrols in their areas of responsibility to identify and act against suspected criminals that avoid the established checkpoint areas and in alternative routes as well.

The deployment of MASCO was made after 15-day training and handling of motorcycle led by the Pangasinan PNP-HPG at the PPPO camp.

He said the improved motorcycle driving skills will enable operatives to be more effective.

Maranan said he expects more chances of intercepting criminals when regular patrols are conducted.

PPPO’s data show that there were 70 shooting incidents perpetrated by riding-in-tandem criminals in 2018; less than 50 in 2019 and only 18 so far this year.

This year, 10 suspected guns-for-hire groups were dismantled, with some of their members killed in separate police encounters.

“Although the province has low shooting incidents perpetrated by motorcycle-riding criminals, other instances of related crimes will further decline,” he said.

Maranan added that PPPO recovered more than 700 loose firearms after the successful implementation of almost 500 search warrants against individuals with unregistered firearms.

“We were also able to arrest and neutralize some members and leaders of gun-for-hire groups usually operating in Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan,” he said.

Among those neutralized groups was the leader a gun-for-hire group from Tarlac and Nueva Ecija, who are also operating in Pangasinan.

He also noted that the motorcycle lanes in checkpoints have proven valuable in the interception of potential criminals.

To further improve preventive and reactive measures to suppress criminality in the province, PPPO has installed five high definition close circuit television (HD-CCTV) cameras Wi-Fi connection at the border control checkpoints.

He said the plan to establish a systematic operation and communications center at the PPPO headquarters to monitor various checkpoints in the province will soon be implemented. (Nora Dominguez/Jerick Pasiliao)

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