The creation of a Police and Private Security Council is in the works after representatives from the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) met Wednesday, May 17, to strengthen security and peace and order in the city.
The meeting, led by MBCCI chief executive officer Frank Carbon and Bacolod Acting Police Director, Col. Noel Aliño, at Park Inn Hotel in Bacolod City tackled security matters in terms of doing business in the city.
Carbon told DIGICAST NEGROS that this is the first time that the business sector met with the new police chief and they hope to create more projects to foster their alliance.
Among the discussions was the creation of the Police and Private Security Council to address the problem of the big gap in the ratio of the police force and the people in the city.
According to the Philippine National Police, the national standard for police to population should be 1:500.
In Bacolod, the ratio is at 1:750 which implies that there is a lack of manpower in terms of public security, Carbon said.
Apart from the creation of the council MBCCI also pledged to provide free gas for the motorbikes of the police to increase their mobility, especially at night, and the training of barangay tanods in ensuring security within their areas.
Carbon said that these partnerships with BCPO aim to strengthen security and peace and order and ensure safe business and economic activities in Bacolod.
He said that this alliance with the police force is also timely as businesses in the city continue to operate until nighttime. In fact, 30 to 40 percent of the businesses in Bacolod are operating at night, he added.
“Ensuring the safety of doing business is necessary in Bacolod City especially since the sector is slowly recovering from the impacts of the pandemic,” Carbon said.
Carbon said that meetings between the police force and representatives of the business sector will be held every other month.
MBCCI hopes that these projects with BCPO will be implemented within the year.*