Valenzuela taps students in fight vs crime

Desperate city hall officials in Valenzuela City are sending a message to the police and the public.

Mayor Bobbit Carlos, still unsatisfied with the performance of the local police force, has thought of a creative, although still riskier, way of curbing the increasing crime index in Valenzuela.

Carlos and local government officials have decided to call for the services of high school students in helping fight crime in the city by monitoring and reporting suspected criminal activities.

In a statement, Carlos announced he has tapped the students for the "First Mayor-Cadet Student Intelligence Seminar-Workshop Class" held yesterday at the city’s Convention Center.

He stressed there is currently a police-to-resident ratio of 1:2004, a far cry from the ideal 1:500 ratio to maintain peace and order in the city.

Dubbed: "Valenzuela Government, Schools, Students, and Community: Partnes in Crime Fighting, Partners in Progress," Carlos said the workshop, attended by thousands of students from various high schools in the city, aims at training the youth in the basics of crime fighting. – Jerry Botial