CCPO: Simulation exercise to test anti-criminality strategy

Personnel of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) hold a meeting on Thursday, September 5, to discuss about the revised anti-criminality strategy that they will be implementing in the city. |CDN Photo/ Emmariel Ares

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police in Cebu City will be conducting a simulation exercise next week in order to test the effectivity of their revised anti-criminality strategy.

Authorities will be choosing a specific location where they can perpetrate an incident that will allow them to see how everyone reacts based on the strategy.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Maria Theresa Macatangay, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), advised the public of the possible effects of the exercise to their daily routines.

“We will be advising the public nga adunay gamay lang nga inconvenience at that certain period in time…It will provide a discomfort, a bit of discomfort, but hopefully they will have patience and understanding because these things are necessary. Of course, for us to practice if this anti-criminality strategy that we are planning is effective,” she said.

(We will be advising the public that there will be a small inconvenience at a certain period of time…It will provide a discomfort, a bit of discomfort, but hopefully they will have patience and understanding because these things are necessary. Of course, for us to practice if this anti-criminality strategy that we are planning is effective.)

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As of this writing, police have yet to disclose the exact location, date, or time of the simulation exercise.

Macatangay assured that they would be relaying more information in the days to come.

CCPO personnel held a meeting at the headquarters on Thursday, September 5, to discuss about the changes they would be making on their anti-criminality strategy in consideration of the recent incidents in Cebu City.

Aside from police officers, representatives from different government agencies were also in attendance.

Macatangay told reporters that they would be involving multiple government agencies like traffic enforcers, disaster responders, and those in charge of managing piers.

“So we are trying to involve other agencies nga makahatag og relevant nga tabang nato aron sa paspas nga responde, paspas nga identification, ug paspas nga pagdakop kani nga mga criminals nga naay plano mosulod here in Cebu City,” she said.

(So we are trying to involve other agencies that can give relevant help touse so that we can quickly respond, fast identification, and fast arrest to the criminals who have plans to enter here in Cebu City.)

Macatangay added that this action was not only a reaction to the recent criminal incidents in the city.

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Instead, their goal is to create a long-term anti-criminality strategy that will effectively prevent malicious entities from striking after monitoring law enforcers.

“But this time around, kuyog sa uban nga mga relevant law-enforcement agencies, we will ensure, we want to upgrade and strengthen kung unsa ang naa karon nga mga anti-criminality strategies sa Cebu City Police Office,” she said.

(But this time around, we are accompanied with our relevant law enforcement agencies, we will ensure, we want to upgrade and strengthen if what are there for the anti-criminality strategies of the Cebu City Police Office.)

Following the robbery incidents victimizing two pawnshops in downtown Cebu City last August, police continue to coordinate with financial institutions for their security.

“Padayon ang atoang pagtudlo sa ilaha ug pag-brief sa ilaha how to determine red flags… to capacitate them how to identify certain indicators para dili ta mahitabuan balik. Ug kung mahitabo man gani, they can provide the necessary information and perform certain needed reactions nga required by law enforcement aron masulbad dayon ug mahatagan og sakto nga reaction dayon ang mga panghitabo,” said Macatangay.

(We continue to teach them and brief them on how to determine red flags…to capacitate them how to identify certain indicators for that this will not happen to them again. And if that will happen again, they can provide the necessary information and perform certain needed reactions that are required by law enforcement so that this can be solved quickly and it will be given the right reaction right away.)

Furthermore, she said that the public could contribute to this by swiftly communicating with authorities unusual persons or activities they come across.