FIGUEROA (FB)
CEBU CITY – In times of emergencies, police here will just be a button away.
The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is planning to come up with an alert system in which “help box” devices will be mounted in public areas.
Under the setup, the public will only have to press a button in case of emergencies for a quick police response.
The security plan was discussed when Police Col. Enrico Figueroa, chief of CCPO, recently paid Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. a courtesy visit at the City Hall.
Archival said the city is studying the rollout of a city-wide “help box system.”
The mayor said the system is a wireless emergency alert device that would directly link the public to nearby police stations.
By just pressing a button, the help box will immediately alert police, enabling them to respond to emergencies within five minutes.
Archival committed to support for police infrastructure and mobility needs. He emphasized that the alert system is an initiative that supports the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) five-minute response time directive.
The CCPO emphasized that the public has a big role to play in ensuring quick police response.
“This five-minute response time, this requires your participation as well. If a crime has happened but no one reported that to the authorities, of course, no one will respond,” said Police Col. Maria Theresa Macatangay, CCPO deputy director for operations.
Macatangay reminded that public safety is a shared responsibility. “It is not just the concern of the police. It is everyone’s concern,” she said.