Police, LRT in crime-prevention partnership
The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) Line 1 forged a partnership Wednesday to enhance public awareness on various modus operandi of criminal gangs at train stations.
Chief Supt. Noel Baraceros, director of PNP’s Center for Police Strategy Management, and Juan Felipe Alfonso, President and Chief Executive Officer of LRMC, led the two parties during a signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for Oplan SAFER.
According to Baraceros, Oplan SAFER forms part of the PNP PATROL (Peace and Order Agenda for Transformation and Upholding of the Rule Of Law) Plan 2030 which aims to provide to the general public “a safer place to live, work or do business through a highly capable, effective and credible police service.”
Baraceros said about 400,000 passengers are riding the LRT Line 1 everyday making it a strategic venue of sharing informative materials on crime prevention against various modus operandi of criminal gangs through posters, tarpaulins and short videos inside train stations.
Commuters were also told to expect more patrolling cops on train stations since police visibility will also be strengthened under the agreement.
“The enhanced public awareness on crime prevention includes informative materials on safety tips and other PNP programs including the campaign against illegal drugs,” he said.
For his part, Alfonso said the LRMC will allow free rides to uniformed police personnel provided they are in complete uniform and has a police ID.
In addition, female police officers will be assigned to designated Police Assistance Desks (PADs) “to deter inappropriate advances/harassment and other incidents within LRMC premises,” he said.
The MOA signing was held at the Central Terminal Station in Ermita, Manila.
Aside from Baraceros, others who witnessed and attended the MOA signing were National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Guillermo Eleazar and other NCRPO top officials and district directors, key officers of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), LRT Authority (LRTA), and National Police Commission (Napolcom).