More cops to secure trains, rail stations

The Department of Transportation DOTr) and the National Capital Region Police Office NCRPO) yesterday vowed to deploy more police officers to secure railway systems following reports of crimes occurring in trains and railway stations.

- GHIO ONG and EJ MACABABBAD

In a statement, the DOTr acknowledged “the public’s concerns regarding recent incidents and assure everyone that these matters are being addressed with the utmost seriousness.”

The DOTr issued the statement after the NCRPO said during Monday’s Senate hearing that it recorded 83 crimes – mostly theft, sexual harassment, bomb jokes and illegal carrying of firearms – that occurred at the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) and the Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2 (LRT-1 and LRT-2) from 2023 to July this year.

The DOTr ’s data, however, showed a higher number of crimes compared to the NCRPO’s figures.

From January to July, the LRT-1 reported 67 incidents among 44 million passengers; 35 incidents among 30 million commuters at the LRT-2 and 250 incidents out of the 78.2 million passengers at the MRT-3 – a total of 352 cases.