Cops on bikes secure QC cemeteries

MANILA, Philippines - Policemen on bikes were a new sight for those visiting their departed beloved yesterday, moving around cemeteries as part of authorities’ anti-crime drive.

The so-called “tourist cops” were deployed yesterday by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) to do the rounds at cemeteries in the observance of All Saints’ Day.

These policemen were deployed in big cemeteries in the city – at the Holy Cross Memorial Park and the Himlayang Pilipino Memorial Park, according to Senior Superintendent Neri Ilagan, chief of directorial staff of the QCPD.

While still in the standard blue uniform, these “tourist cops” were noticeable with their shorts and blue helmet. “They also have something on their arms that says they’re tourist policemen,” Ilagan said in an interview.

According to Ilagan, the deployment of tourist policemen proved to be strategic for the QCPD, since with their bikes, these personnel could do the rounds inside cemeteries with easier mobility.

“Compared to patrol cars, their bicycles can easily penetrate narrow roads inside the crowded cemeteries,” Ilagan said.

According to Ilagan, the observance of All Saints’ Day both at public and private cemeteries in Quezon City was generally peaceful.