THE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) recently announced that they are set to roll out their Oplan Iron Fortress (Fortification of Residences Towards a Restful Environment that is Secured and Safe), which is a program that seeks to lower and prevent crime in exclusive residences and subdivisions.
DCPO City Director Police Senior Superintendent Alexander Tagum said the program, once it begins, will have three parts -- the call to action, community empowerment, and public awareness campaign.
Call to action means they will meet stakeholders to gather support. For community empowerment, DCPO will conduct training to empower the community in conducting ronda patrol in the subdivisions, which is already beyond police patrol.
Lastly, under public awareness campaign, the police will provide personal home family security handbook or manual and contingency action checklist to residents.
The DCPO has already submitted their recommendation to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio last week and is only awaiting approval.
Oplan Iron Fortress is a welcome development in preventing crime and keeping the city's peace and order. DCPO has indeed been exhausting means to improve their security measures for the safety of the people here.
It can be noted that some subdivisions, despite being exclusive, are also prone to dangers. Hence, it would be a good idea for the police to train homeowners on crime prevention in their communities.
However, we urge DCPO to intensify its information dissemination campaign on Oplan Iron Fortress to make things clear to the public. The more they understand the program, the more likely they will give their support.
For the rest of us, we must also do our part in securing our own homes and communities. Let us give our full support to our government authorities who are only after our welfare. Let us continue to be vigilant.
The program also cements the fact that a community and a security force that work together will further boost the security of the city.
An empowered and knowledgeable community can be a great shield against different forms of crimes.