Monday, December 03, 2007 Mountain Province town has lady chief of police
BESAO, Mountain Province -- Gender equity even in the police force is evident in this town with a lady officer sitting as its chief of police (COP).
Inspector Helen Tindowen holds the distinction of being the only lady COP not only in Mountain Province but the whole of the Cordillera region.
Tindowen, who assumed her post last September, describes her job as very challenging. With a male-dominated police force except for a lady cop in charge of the Women and Child Desk, she has to be firm in her decisions and exerts extra effort in persuading her police to be more alert and responsive.
To show to the people that the police are there for them, she leads her men to do patrols around the barangay.
Asked on how she is coping as a COP so much so that Besao used to be the haven of New People’s Army (NPA) in the past, Tindowen said Besao is a peaceful place, adding that crimes committed are mostly petty.
There was a case of rape but it was already solved. The police came to know of the case when the suspect volunteered himself to be locked up in jail when he can not pay the P20,000 being asked by the victim’s party. The case is now in court.
The lady COP gets support from Mayor Wellington Pooten, a retired fire officer himself, and the Municipal Council.
Tindowen said the Municipal Council, chaired by Vice Mayor David Ballang, is working for the hiring of two tanods (watchmen) in each barangay under the Municipal Government to help ensure peace and order. During occasions in the town center, the tanods would be assigned to police their own barangay mates as they know them better.
Tindowen, who hails from Bontoc, is a graduate of BS Commerce who worked for three years with the National Food Authority before joining the police force 22 years ago.
