By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Police officers are facing difficulties while manning the checkpoints as part of the border control and monitoring against the coronavirus disease (COVID)-2019 here.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico, public information officer of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), said that they need more thermal scanners, portalets, and volunteers to assist them.
They also need more City Health Office (CHO) personnel who will help check the temperatures of passengers and other people on the road.
For portalets, Pico said that policemen have a hard time relieving themselves because they cannot leave their areas of assignment.
He also said that there’s a long queue of vehicles because only three CHO personnel and eight policemen are assigned to conduct thermal scanning.
“We need volunteers to help us in the checking of passengers especially in buses,” he added.
Pico said they have already informed the city government about it and they are waiting for the equipment to be provided to them.
Meanwhile, Pico expressed his gratitude to civilians who provided food, face masks, and alcohol, as well as vitamins while they are performing their duties in checkpoint operations.
He said 16 policemen a day are being utilized to man seven borders here, including augmentation from police stations, wherein their areas are covered with the checkpoint.
VISIBILITY PATROL
The BCPO is also intensifying anti-criminality efforts here despite the general community quarantine.
Pico said the BCPO is strengthening its visibility patrol, as they are anticipating possible occurrence of thefts and robberies since the work of some individuals may be affected by the government’s action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 here.
Pico said travel restrictions affect workers, most of them on short term jobs, from outside the city.
“May ara iban nga ga remedyo heneral lang,” Pico said, adding that if these individuals do not have enough income to provide for their families, some of them will resort to crime.
He said they will tap barangay officials to help them in visibility patrols.
“We will continue our job to protect the people from criminalities, at the same time protect them from the threat of COVID-19 by implementing the order of the local government,” he said.
Pico appealed to the public to be considerate and follow the protocol to prevent untoward incidents.
“Stay at home so that you will not be vulnerable to criminal elements and at the same you will be safe from the COVID-19 threat,” he said.
