The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) underscored that its crime prevention programs will not be compromised amidst the ongoing implementation of strict border controls in the established quarantine checkpoints and the enforcement of minimum public health standards in public places.
BCPO City Director Police Col. Glenn D. Lonogan emphasized that while the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has contributed in reducing crimes in the city since the start of the pandemic over a year ago, there is still a need for the local police force to step up its crime prevention efforts to deter the illegal activities of lawless elements who continue to take advantage of the prevailing situation to commit crimes that affect the peace and order situation in the city.
He pointed out that the anti-criminality, anti-insurgency, anti-terrorism campaign of the local police force remains their utmost priority, aside from the ongoing enforcement of stricter border controls and minimum public health standards to help in sustaining the peace and order situation of the city thereby making it a good place to live, work, study and do business.
Aside from the aforesaid programs, projects and activities, the BCPO official stipulated that the local police force continues to engage the people in the different barangays to help in identifying their peace and order issues that need to be immediately addressed so as not to significantly affect the gains of law enforcers in curbing crimes in the different barangays.
Further, Lonogan revealed that another aspect of the city’s peace and order situation that is being given appropriate attention is the unrelenting and uncompromising campaign against illegal drugs pursuant to the present administration’s aggressive drug campaign which was able to gain ground in the different parts of the country.
According to him, police personnel are closely working with their counterparts in the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to sustain the ongoing anti-drug campaign to eventually curb the proliferation of illegal drugs in the city and spare the youth from the serious negative impact of illegal drugs.
Based on the PDEA reports, Baguio remains a transshipment point of illegal drugs, particularly marijuana from the interior parts of the Cordillera, to the lowlands and shabu from the lowlands to the different parts of the region.
Lonogan asserted that law enforcers will continue aggressively implement the government’s anti-drug campaign because illegal drugs have no place in the city where peace and order is the priority of the residents.
Another aspect of law enforcement that will be effectively and efficiently addressed by the new police chief will be the enforcement of traffic rules and regulations coupled with the anti-road obstruction campaign to ensure the smooth flow of traffic, especially in the city’s central business district area, for the convenience of both the motorists and the pedestrians.
He urged the public to continue cooperating with the BCPO by adhering to the implementation of the minimum public health standards aside from abiding with the traffic rules and regulations to ensure law and order around the city during these trying times. By Dexter A. See