Central Visayas top cop eyeing bystanders, riders, volunteers to help combat crimes

This file photo shows members of the Philippine National Police (Photo from PNP)

CEBU CITY —  Brigadier General Anthony Aberin, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) is planning to tap bystanders and other people on the streets to help maintain peace and order and help offset the shortage of police officers in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.

“They can report to us what they have seen or observed in their surroundings. And I believe that they can contribute a lot in maintaining peace and order in the community,”Aberin  said earlier this week.

Aside from bystanders, Aberin said he wants to recruit tricycle drivers, and motorcycle-for-hire drivers who were out on the streets most of the time.

Aberin urged local police officials to organize street people who are willing to be part of the “Active Bystandership for Effective Response Intervention (ABERIN)” program.

Volunteers, he said, will not receive any pay from the government.

“We need responsible members of the community to help us. Again, policemen can’t guard all places,” he said.

Aberin assured the public that bystanders who will be tapped by the police won’t abuse or take advantage of the program.

“We need to screen all volunteers,” he said.

“We (policemen) are not trying to pass our work to other people. If we only organize these people, they can really help us. They can immediately text or call policemen in case there are crimes. It would be the duty of policemen to immediately respond to the calls,” he added.

For Aberin, police visibility is key to preventing crimes.

He also lauded those installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras along the streets.

“CCTVs help in the investigation, but it cannot prevent crimes. The CCTV only records what is happening,” Aberin said.

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