Quezon City to field police bike patrols

Quezon City (27 October) -- Quezon City Police District director P/CSupt. Benjardi Mantele launched "Tourist Police Project" at Gateway Mall in Cubao last Friday in accordance with PNP's "Bantay Turista" program.

Sporting blue-collared polo shirts and shorts, Quezon City's young, energetic and medium-built policemen are now seen on bike patrol assignment, in the city's commercial and busy areas, particularly in places being visited by tourists.

Mantele said that an initial batch of 20 policemen, mostly rookie cops from the District Public Safety Battalion (DBSP) and are mostly physically fit and have good stamina, were deployed to man one of the city's busy business centers - the Cubao area.

Cubao area was set as a launching site for the project after the Araneta Business center Association strongly supported the move by donating some of the needed uniforms and equipment needed by bike patrol cops, especially the 20 units of mountain bikes to be utilized for the purpose.

The move, Mantele said, is also in line with the city government plan to develop QC as one of the tourist centers in Metro Manila.

He noted that QC Mayor Herbert Bautista had explicitly said during every Peace & Order Council meeting that tourism is an economic driver, thus the development of tourist police is imperative.

After the Cubao area, the QCPD, in close coordination with the Cultural and Tourism Affairs Office (CTAO), will soon launch other tourist police units at places like La Mesa Eco Park in Fairview, stretches of Katipunan Avenue, Tomas Morato, Timog Avenue, Quezon City Memorial Circle, UP-Ayala Techno Hub and Eastwood Libis.

Tourist assistance centers (TACs) will also be established in every unit or police station in tourist areas where the police could immediately render appropriate security and related public safety services to both foreign and local tourists.

Mayor Bautista is among the guests of honor in the occasion, together with newly-appointed NCRPO Director Nicanor Bartolome and Miss Universe 4th runner-up Venus Raj. Officials Araneta Business Center Association and QCPD also graced the event. (PIA-MMIO)