CEBU CITY – Police in Central Visayas will now be able respond to emergencies as quickly as possible with the help of technology.
The Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) on Friday, Feb. 14, launched the Emergency Alert Button app that the public can use to seek immediate police assistance.
POLICE Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan (third from left), Police Regional Office-7 chief, leads the launching of an app that will help the police quickly respond to emergencies in Central Visayas. (Contributed photo)
With the app, police can respond within five minutes after they receive the alert, said Police Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan, chief of PRO-7.
The app can be downloaded on Android cell phones. Even without signal or Internet data, the app can still be used.
During the launching, the efficacy of the app was tested.
A person in distress used the app while in a convenience store on Osmeña Boulevard. In just a little over a minute, police arrived at the convenience store to check the emergency.
Maranan said that the app will be very useful as responding to emergencies as quickly as possible will help save lives.
He warned police units that fail to respond within the appropriate time will be penalized.
“This is how we rise to the challenge. The less than five minutes response time, this is our standard now that we must make, every second matters. A delayed response can mean loss of lives, stolen property, or criminals escaping justice, and that is unacceptable,” Maranan said.
Maranan said heavy traffic should not be an excuse for delayed response.
“There is no room for hesitation, there is no place for complacency. As we roll out the system in our communities, always remember that the public trusts us. We must protect them and we must not take the trust for granted," Maranan said.
Maranan also warned that people using the app for hoax incidents will be tracked down and penalized.
“In case we found out after an investigation that someone did prank calls just to disturb the normal deployment of our police, of course we will file cases," said Maranan.
Maranan said that since he assumed as chief of PRO-7, he enforced the policy of deploying 90 percent of the personnel to increase police visibility.
He enforced the strategy during his tenure in Region 3 or Central Luzon.
Maranan said he expects city and provincial police commanders in Central Visayas to adopt the policy.