NPD bike patrol cops to secure churches

MANILA, Philippines - As part of the Northern Police District’s security measures for the Holy Week, the NPD will deploy its bicycle patrol team to secure churches, an official said yesterday.

The bike patrol, whose members usually guard banks and business establishments in northern Metro Manila, will provide security for devotees who will be participating in the traditional senakulo and pabasa. 

“In terms of police visibility, they can be more effective compared to the mobile or beat patrol because they can cover wider areas from morning until afternoon,” Senior Superintendent Pepito Pacada, NPD deputy district director for operations, told The STAR.

The NPD will also “increase policemen in the streets” to secure residential areas as most residents will leave for the provinces.

“The focus areas will mostly be in Caloocan, where the crime rate is higher compared to its neighboring cities,” Pacada said.