THE Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) launched Monday the first training of the 25 Special Weapons and Tactic (Swat) personnel at the BCPO parade grounds after the City Government released the P1-million budget for the purchase of equipment and gears.
BCPO Director Ricardo De la Paz said the city Swat team was composed of 25 personnel. Its formation is in line with the order of Police Chief Director General Raul Bacalzo to enhance Bacolod’s crisis management capability, relative to what happened in the Quirino Grandstand hostage situation last year. The activity was attended by acting Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, Councilors El Cid Familiaran and Al Victor Espino, and the mobile training unit of Police Regional Office-6 led by Superintendent Salvador Dagu-on. The Swat team is a standby unit in the city to handle critical incidents, such as hostage situations, bank robberies, barricaded suspects, and terrorist-related incidents, De la Paz said. He stressed that, as a highly urbanized city, it’s mandatory for Bacolod to have a Swat unit. “I believe that we can handle critical incidents properly,” he added. De la Paz revealed that the members of the Swat team had undergone screening and pre-qualification tests, such as shooting and physical agility. He stated that the 25 personnel passed the minimum requirements. He said that he will not allow the Swat members to be assigned in some units here in Bacolod or somewhere in Negros Occidental because the Swat personnel are trained to be the Swat of BCPO so that they can utilize their expertise and knowledge as Swat members in Bacolod. He added the training of the Swat unit is now timely in Bacolod, since the notorious bank robbery group Parohinog gang is now eyeing Western Visayas, especially the banks in the city. De la Paz also showed his gratitude to the City Government officials for the financial support to be used during the training and the purchase of Swat equipment and gears. Meanwhile, De la Paz said the P1-million budget for the purchase of Swat gears and equipment is not sufficient to acquire all the Swat equipment and gears. He said that he will request the City Government to allocate additional fund in the amount of P2-million to acquire a standard weapons and gears for Swat unit. By Merlinda A. Pedrosa Sun.Star Bacolod
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