Baptism of fire for Caloocan rookie cops

Some 80 new recruits of the Caloocan City police were fielded in the city’s malls, shopping areas and busy streets in time for the holiday rush.

Superintendent Victor Ronquillo, city police deputy chief, said the move was in line with the program of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) aimed at protecting the public, especially holiday shoppers, from lawless elements and terrorist attacks.

The neophyte cops will be assigned to the Gotesco Grand Central shopping complex, the biggest in Caloocan City, at the Bonifacio Monument Circle (BMC), in the vicinity of schools and churches and in the public markets.

Ronquillo pointed out that some 10 bomb scare incidents have been reported in the last two months, all resulting in mild panic and confusion. He said the public has so far been lucky since all incidents have turned out to be false alarms and did not result in casualties or injuries.

Northern Police district Office (NPDO) chief Senior Superintendent Marcelino Franco Jr. has ordered the four police chiefs of the Camanava area to intensify the implementation of security measures in their particular area of jurisdiction to prevent lawless elements from taking advantage of the Christmas shopping rush. – Jerry Botial