MANILA, Philippines - After a ban on buying hammers, shoppers will now be told not to wear caps in malls to prevent robberies, a police official said yesterday.

â€œFrom now on, the wearing of caps would be banned in malls. Those wearing it would be advised to take it off and place or keep them inside their bags or in their pockets,â€ National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Carmelo Valmoria said in an interview.

Mall owners will display signs against the wearing of caps at entrances while security guards will strictly enforce the ban in a polite manner, he added.

The decision was arrived at during a series of meetings with mall operators and security managers in Metro Manila, he said.

Valmoria sought the meetings to come up with ideas how to enhance security in malls and prevent robberies like the one committed at SM North EDSA two Sundays ago.

In the meetings, the participants observed that robbers wear caps to prevent closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras from capturing their images.

In the SM North EDSA robbery, the robbers used hammers to smash the glass display cases and take around P5 million worth of jewelry while at the MOA, the robber took P50,000 and three cell phones, but not before beating up and hogtying the storeâ€™s employee.

In the two heists, the CCTV cameras got clear shots of the robbers â€“ with caps shielding their faces, Valmoria said.

Because of the SM North-EDSA robbery, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II banned the purchase of hammers in malls.

Valmoria said it was also agreed in the meeting with mall operators and security managers that the purchase of hammers would be allowed but the buyers can claim them at designated claim corners near the mallsâ€™ exits.