Benguet studes gets IEC materials on safety tips
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Following the opening of classes for private schools here last week, the town’s police has started the distribution of more than 2,000 information education campaign (IEC) materials on crime prevention, public safety, antibullying, disaster preparedness, antichild abuse, drug prevention and gender awareness tips to students.
The town host numerous private preschools, elementary and secondary schools and colleges including the biggest and oldest state-run university in the region - the Benguet State University (BSU) which makes the town the center for education in this vegetable-producing province.
Prior to the opening of classes on August 1, the La Trinidad Municipal Police Station also intensified police visibility aside from setting-up police assistance desks in the different schools. The same was done prior to the opening of classes for public schools last June 5.
Chief Inspector Benson Macliing, La Trinidad’s chief of police said since January this year, they have already distributed about 9,717 handouts bearing safety tips and the hotline contact numbers of the police stations.
Aside from distribution of safety tips to students, the police also do house to house visitations, continuously reminding everyone specially the students to be mindful of their belongings like cellular phones, laptops, cash and jewelry to prevent persons with criminal minds from pursuing their plans.
“With the opening of classes of the pri-
vate schools, I’m afraid that theft incidents will again increase, especially if the students are not reminded to always protect themselves against thieves,” Macliing said.
“I am appealing to the public to read and memorize our safety tips in order for them to be protected. We only have limited police officers that is why we are asking for everybody’s support. Crime prevention is everybody’s concern,” he added.
Macliing said the police hope with the distribution of the safety tips including the conduct of police visibility in the municipality, the students and the community as a whole will not become fall victim to thieves.