Rama wants new police chief to address criminality

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama wants gambling operations and the sales of liquor strictly regulated as a deterrence to criminality.

Rama also wants the incoming chief of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), Senior Supt. Noli Romana, to go after rugby boys.

“If not addressed, they (rugby boys) will become a problem to society,” he said.

Rama added that street mendicants and night dwellers will have to be given serious attention by the city government.

Rama also mentioned in his inaugural speech on Monday that he wanted more closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) installed on city streets and the city traffic management system improved.

“We shall not take lightly the matter on peace and order as well as traffic,” he said.

Last April, the city government acquired 20 CCTVs worth P15 million.

Ten security cameras were are installed at the office of the mayor at city hall while the rest may be found in various city streets.

Engineer Eugene Elizalde, head of the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council, said these CCTVs are capable of 24-hours of recording and are expected to help in the immediate solution of crimes by providing a playback from which police authorities may identify its perpetrators.

He said the city would need about 91 CCTVs estimated to cost P200 to P300 million to make sure that major thoroughfares and crime prone areas are equipped with these cameras./CHIEF OF REPORTERS DORIS C. BONGCAC