by Jiru Rada
While theft remains the top criminal offense in UP Diliman (UPD) for 2015 , the number of incidents relating to crime decreased by 10 percent from 237 recorded cases in 2014 to 213 this year, according to the annual crime statistics review of the UPD Police (UPDP).
Figures on robbery, threat, and physical injury reported to the UPDP contributed to one-third of all crime incidents on campus. Overall, the month of September saw the most number of crimes with 27 cases. Meanwhile, September and August registered the most number of theft reports with both 14 cases each month.
UPDP Officer-in-charge P/Capt. Ruben Villaluna identified Magsaysay Avenue, University Avenue, C.P. Garcia Avenue and Ylanan Street as consistent hotspot areas for robbery inside the campus for the past three years.
Given the previous year’s lower number of reported crimes, the university’s stakeholders have become confident with a false sense of laxity as they tend to forget that criminal elements can actively operate inside the campus, said Chief Security Officer (CSO) John Baroña.
Despite being ‘generally peaceful,’ the previous year had an ‘alarming’ surge in the number of vehicular accidents, Villaluna added. Official figures have indicated 129 in-campus road mishaps with 17 cases in March.
Tighter security measures
Baroña attributed the decline in crime incidents to the improved communication system within the three components of UPD’s security force – UPDP, Special Services Brigade (SSB), and the private security group.
Last August, the CSO office established an Investigation and Follow-up Section consisting of five officers from UPDP. The investigative group conducted in-depth investigations of reported crime incidents and was able to solve 60 of the 104 active cases last year.
The UPDP also conducted information campaigns in various dormitories to educate the students about peace and order and the different modi operandi of criminals in the campus.
At present, there are 31 uniformed officers out of the 40 members of the UPDP and 63 members of the Special Services Brigade who patrol the campus and its six adjacent barangays. The private security force, on the other hand, has 368 regular guards hired plus an additional 20 supplemental guards to ensure the security of UPD’s new academic buildings.
To alleviate the crime-related incidents in the university, the UP administration plans to install additional closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the campus’ open spaces such as the Sunken Garden, the National Science Complex, and the Academic Oval next academic year, according to Baroña.
Security risks
Last year, there were four recorded incidents of structural fires inside the campus. In June alone, the College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Association (CASAA) Food Center and the UPAA Bowling and Recreation Center were razed by fire and three individuals were injured.
In that same month, four students were hurt in a fraternity-related incident involving the Upsilon Sigma Phi and the Alpha Sigma fraternities.
In spite of these incidents, no additional security officers were hired by the UP administration as the frat-related incident, for example, was considered an “isolated case.”
“The general security deployment plan is to hire more security personnel for the new buildings in the campus,” said Baroña.
The university also hosted one of the biggest solidarity campouts for indigenous peoples in 2015. Around 700 Lumad from militarized communities in Mindanao, and thousands of students, faculty and members of sectoral groups attended the weeklong Kampuhan sa Diliman at the College of Human Kinetics grounds in late October.
However, less than a week before the campout, the UPDP and SSB caught six military agents who were conducting surveillance opeations on campus grounds. In an official statement released by the UPD administration, Chancellor Michael Tan said there was no notification received by his office regarding the surveillance operation conducted on campus.
The Quezon City Police District took custody of the agents and verified that they were on an authorized operation to locate a target who was allegedly in UPD. Under the Soto-Enrile Accord, however, an agreement between UP and the Department of National Defense, military forces are prohibited from entering university premises.
“If they need to operate within the campus because their subject is in UP, they have to coordinate it with UPDP and [ask] the consent of the chancellor,” added Baroña.