Makati police involve tanods, guards in Christmas security plan

MANILA, Philippines- The Makati City police has started to implement a comprehensive security plan for the city as the Christmas season comes into full swing.

Senior Superintendent Manuel Lukban, Makati City police chief, said that under the “Makati Joint Security Scheme” the maintenance of security within the city will not only be the responsibility of the police.

“Makati has so many units involved with the maintenance of peace and order. We have defined the function of each and we have organized them to include the security personnel of subdivisions, malls, offices and the barangays,” said Lukban.

Under the scheme, bantay bayan or barangay watchmen will be assisting the police in maintaining order and security at the different barangays of the city. This will also be the function of security guards posted at the various malls, subdivisions, hotels and offices located at the city.

Uniformed police officers, meanwhile, will be patrolling the streets and enforce police presence particularly in areas where the big malls, banks and offices are located.

Lukban said the deployed policemen, bantay bayan personnel and security guards are coordinated with each other through radios using the police frequency.

Meanwhile, Lukban said the Makati Police has fortified its presence around the city’s business and commercial areas.

“We are now focused on operations against street crimes, petty crimes inside the malls and robberies inside public utility vehicles,” he said.

Lukban also ordered target-hardening measures around banks in the city with sustained patrols by Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and quick response police teams.

Lukban also said that while uniformed police officers will be present outside the entrance and exits of the city’s malls, they are given strict orders not to enter while in uniform unless the mall’s security personnel ask them to do so.

“Based on our experience, policemen who are supposed to go on patrols inside the malls end up just malling and could not be found immediately when they are really needed,” he said.

Lukban said that for this Christmas season, teams composed of two police officers and a member of the Makati Public Safety Department have been deployed around the city’s commercial district and at the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) stations from 1 pm to 10 pm.

Lukban said the comprehensive security plan was drafted by the Makati Police to beef-up security during the holiday rush.

According to Lukban, Makati has 600,000 permanent residents with its day-time population ballooning to 4 million, composed mostly of tourists and transient office workers.

Lukban said the Makati Police Station only has a total of 520 police officers to serve the city’s 600,000 permanent residents and a combined 4 million daytime population. As such, Lukban said there is only one police officer to serve 8,000 people each day in Makati City.