GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The city police here is set to activate a special operations group (SOG) that will address the cases of killings in the area by motorcycle-riding criminals.

Col. Gilberto Tuzon, acting city police director, said Tuesday they are consolidating the necessary resources and personnel from various police units that will compose the SOG.

Tuzon said the group will mainly lead the investigation and followup operations against the suspects, adding: “Our priority is to end these killings and make sure that our citizens are protected from these criminal elements.”

Tuzon said the SOG will function as a new unit and will complement the operations of the city’s eight police stations and other units.

He said it will coordinate with other law enforcement agencies or units as needed as part of their assigned tasks.

The city police had long been bugged by the cases of unsolved murders, some of which were believed carried out by hired gunmen.

A report released by the city police office showed that a total of 38 shooting incidents were recorded within the area’s 26 barangays from Jan. 1 to Oct. 11 this year.

At least 17 were classified as homicide, seven as murder, six as frustrated homicide, five as frustrated murder, two as serious physical injuries, and one as attempted murder.

“These illegal activities are all connected so our operating units will be complementing with each other in the process,” Tuzon said. (PNA)