Cops in Leyte launch program to make communities feel safe
TACLOBAN CITY — The Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8) in Palo, Leyte is rolling out a community-centered program aimed at making residents feel safe.
Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño, PRO-8 regional director, said the program called SAFE or Seen, Appreciated, Felt and Extraordinary Police Service, seeks to improve police visibility and responsiveness.
“We should see one another, appreciate one another, and make our presence felt so that the community can say that they truly feel safe here in Eastern Visayas,” Cardiño said in an interview on Thursday, Oct.8.
The cops are setting up checkpoints and other security measures along major roads for this program so that people will feel secure, even at night.
The SAFE program has already been launched in Leyte province, with similar movements planned in Biliran, Southern Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar.
Alongside the SAFE program, PRO-8 is promoting the Unified 911 emergency hotline to make it easier for residents to seek immediate assistance during emergencies.
The hotline connects callers to the appropriate responders, including the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and local disaster risk reduction and management offices.
The Unified 911 hotline allows the callers to report their emergency directly to an operator, who then coordinates the appropriate response.
The hotline can be accessed through mobile phones even without prepaid load, making it a convenient option for people who urgently need help.
Telephone numbers used for prank calls may be blocked, potentially preventing callers from accessing the service when they have a genuine emergency.
The local police force’s average response time is estimated at three to five minutes, based on feedback and surveys.
However, the responses may take up to 10 minutes, depending on the distance and location of the responding unit. /apl
