Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing, together with Senior Inspector Alexander Santander of the Special Weapons and Tactic (SWAT), checks on the unit’s equipment as the mayor plans to buy more trucks, rifles and communication equipment for the city’s police force (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO).
IMAGINE a Mandaue City with more security cameras in city streets and new LED billboards on its skywalks bearing all sorts of public announcements.
Imagine the city with an upgraded police capability to “move, shoot and communicate” with additional equipment to be purchased for its Special Weapons and Tactic (SWAT) unit and City Hall’s command center.
Imagine reporting a crime to the command center and a computer system comes up with data on license plates and facial recognition.
In a press conference yesterday, Mandaue City Mayor Luis “Luigi” Quisumbing promised to have all these in light of the Davao City bombing last Friday.
Quisumbing already met with software suppliers for the city’s computer system which will include license plate and facial recognition programs.
The security cameras and LED billboards on skywalks will augment the city’s efforts to maintain peace and order as well as decongest traffic, according to the mayor.
“This will serve as early warning systems for rerouting, traffic, weather and a host of other public service announcements,” Quisumbing said referring to the new billboards which he promised to install.
“As we are stepping up our vigilance, we are also stepping up our capabilities to ensure that these or similar acts (bombing) will not happen,” Quisumbing said.
Yesterday, Quisumbing visited the SWAT headquarters in Mandaue City’s North Reclamation Area to check on the status of their equipment and other needs.
“We are acquiring two SWAT trucks, rifles and communication equipment for them,” Quisumbing said, adding that the city will also have new mobile trackers for the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) and purchase drones.
“This is to allow real-time tracking and rapid deployment of TEAM personnel. The drone acquisition will be linked up with our command center (license plate and facial) recognition program,” Quisumbing said.
Over at the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), director P/Supt. Roberto Alanas said that MCPO will conduct added trainings for its Explosives Ordinance Detection (EOD) unit to further hone their skills in dealing with explosive devices.
“Kulang tayo ng mga tao pero meron tayong capability. Sa training dagdagan lang natin para mas lalo pang bumuti (We lack personnel but we have the capability. Let’s just add to the trainings to make them even better),” Alanas said.
Police will also conduct more checkpoints and patrol the city together with TEAM personnel as force multipliers.
Quisumbing ordered barangay tanods to pay special attention to areas in barangays where many young people converge.
Quisumbing urged the public to immediately report to police or the city’s command center suspicious strangers in the community.
“If new people suddenly arrive and are acting suspiciously, let us know. All information received by the hotlines are confidential and we will never divulge the identities of people that call in with information,” Quisumbing said.