Taguig cops to team up with guards against crime

The Taguig City police on Saturday began distributing leaflets to private security guards in order to make them better partners against robbers and other criminals.

Senior Supt. Camilo Cascolan said the leaflets, given to guards manning the city's commercial establishments and other vital installations, was a means to promote standard operating procedures (SOP) between them and the police.

Listed on the informative flyers are reminders and rules needed to be observed so that law enforcers won't be caught flat-footed by criminal elements, said Cascolan, the city police chief.

On top of the list is establishing "proper coordination" between the guards or building administrators and uniformed service personnel, be it with cops or members of the armed forces.

Security guards were also told to get tough on those carrying firearms into their establishments and make sure that they have all the necessary papers to do so.

It was the alleged lack of coordination between police and guards that were frowned upon after the Greenbelt 5 heist last October 18 wherein members of the heavily-armed Alvin Flores gang stormed the Makati City mall and robbed a luxury watch boutique there.

Two Taguig policemen, SPO1 Cesar Tiglao and PO1 Efren Ceniza Jr., engaged the robbers in a shootout, killing one of them and forcing the others to flee. The two cops turned out to be security details of Taguig Mayor Freddie Tiñga, who was attending a family gathering at the mall.

Following the incident, Tiñga ordered the forming and distribution of a "security handbook" for all security personnel, barangay officials and even village watchers.

"Considering what happened in Makati, we cannot afford to be complacent with our security here in Taguig. We cannot turn a blind eye on the notoriety of these criminal syndicates and what they are capable of doing," he said.

The mayor also encouraged business locators to install close-circuit televisions (CCTVs) around their premises as a preventive security measure.

This would augment the 87 CCTVs that are already scattered in key areas of Taguig, said Tiñga.