UPTOWN residents set up on Monday, December 10, the first Uptown Police Precinct to reach police officers immediately in times of emergency and distress calls.

Arthur Aranas, president of the Morning Mist Village, said this initiative of some 15 homeowners associations, will allow police to respond to their calls immediately instead of going to Carmen Police Station, which is at least four kilometers away from the uptown area.

The homeowners have remodeled a container van and transformed this into an office for the police precinct.

Aranas said this was planned months ago, with the support of Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) and City Mayor Oscar Moreno.

Aranas said City Police director Senior Superintendent Nelson Aganon agreed to assign 10 police officers everyday in the police precinct.

"We are cooperating as a community kay kami raman pud maka-benefit, all of the uptown residents will benefit this police station," he said.

"We are really far from Carmen police, there was one incident when we caught a thief, but we still have to transport him to the police station because we have no available officers here," he added.

However, the long-term request of the uptown residents is the creation of a police station in the uptown part of the city.

"Mayor Moreno also wanted to build a police station there but we are still searching for a space. But that is really our wish," he said.

The container van police precinct is located just beside the Morning Mist Village and near a gasoline station.

Meanwhile, Cocpo spokesperson Superintendent Mardy Hortillosa welcomed this move and thanked the homeowners officers for the unique initiative.

"We hope they will continue to support the police substation, such as giving information and other needs so our police will be effective in their duty," Hortillosa said.

Hortillosa said he understands the need of the uptown area, which is eyed as the next commercial area of Cagayan de Oro.

He said the police too, is eyeing to establish a police station in the uptown, as this area remains a potential target of sensational cases or crimes.

Just last week, a shootout transpired in Mastersons Avenue, Upper Carmen, which left a police officer and the suspect dead and another policeman wounded.