The Quezon City government, on orders of Mayor Herbert Bautista, is making it mandatory for all establishment owners in the city to install closed-circuit television cameras inside and outside their premises to minimize crime incidence in the city, especially carnapping and kidnapping cases.
Given priority by the Mayor were high-risk establishments such as car dealership stores, both high-end and trade-ins, as well as schools and convenience stores.
The Mayor announced that the adoption of the new policy shall serve as a pre-requisite when applying or renewing business permits in the city starting next year.
Aside from high-risk establishments, the Mayor also called for the setting up of CCTV cameras in the different areas of responsibility of the city’s 142 barangays utilizing their respective calamity fund.
Over the next three years, the CCTV cameras will be installed along strategic areas in the city including densely-populated communities.
“What we are doing right now is to institute measures aimed at further improving the city’s crime resolution and efficiency rate,” the Mayor said.
The Mayor also cited as imperative the need to improve the city’s road networks, particularly entry and exit points, to assist the police in its peacekeeping efforts.
Mayor Bautista outlined his administration’s peace and order program during a press conference at the QC Hall Bulwagan.
The press conference, jointly organized by the city’s public affairs and information services office and the city administrator’s office, was also attended by representatives from various car dealers operating in the city such as Toyota Motors, Diamond Motors, Hyundai and Kia Motors.
Meanwhile, QC Police District director Benjardi Mantele assured QC-based car dealers that the city police had already drawn up measures to ensure their safety and protection.
“Hindi namin tinatakbuhan ang responsibilidad namin,” Mantele said. However, the QCPD director appealed to the car dealers to work closely with the police to ensure the success of the QCPD efforts. “There should be shared responsibility among stakeholders,” Mantele said.
To date, Mantele wants to implement the operational protocol on QC-based car dealers, which was earlier adopted in banks.
With Mayor Bautista and Mantele during the press conference were former QCPD director Elmo San Diego, now head of the QC Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS); city administrator Victor Endriga; business permits and licensing office head Pacifico Maghacot and QC Liga ng mga Barangay president Councilor Ranulfo Ludovica.-30- Maureen Quinones, PAISO.
