City police director Supt. Melvin Gayotin told The Freeman that during the preparations for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, at least 30 policemen from the CCPO had joined a special training under the Traffic Management Group.
However, only 22 of the trainees have actually finished the course. Ten of them were picked to be the first members of the unit for the "tourist cops" while the other were assigned to the traffic group.
Gayotin said the "tourist cops" will be each issued with new motorcycles and handheld radios so that it would be easier for them to coordinate with other police units during emergencies.
Though they are specifically focused on guarding tourist spots, the "tourist cops" can still be called to action in other incidents near their post, Gayotin said.
The city has become the number one destination for Korean, Japanese and Chinese tourists for the past years. Because of this, it has given these tourists some favor, like giving policemen language study training in order for them to communicate well with the Koreans.
According to Gayotin, additional "tourist cops" will be recruited once the construction of the Compact Police Station near the City Hall would be completed.
The new police station will serve as headquarters for "tourist cops" and for other policemen from different police stations. - Edwin Ian Melecio