CEBU City Councilor Phillip Zafra has urged Mayor Edgardo Labella to prioritize the establishment of a command center with advanced technology.
The lawmaker from the city’s south district has submitted his resolution, saying it is about time for the City to give “ample protection and to become number one again by considering the establishment of a state-of-the-art command center.”
In a phone interview with SunStar Cebu, the councilor said there is a need for the City to acquire advanced technology, adding that such move has been long overdue considering the city’s status as an economic hub.
If the City will put up a state-of-the-art command center, Zafra said several security cameras will be installed in all intersections and streets, including the areas identified by the police as prone to criminal activities.
There is also a need for the City, said Zafra, to have a command center that functions during emergency situations, such as disasters, and is capable of gauging the increase of floodwater in an area.
He further said they are looking for an artificial intelligence technology that can penetrate walls and buildings and can determine individuals trapped inside.
Zafra, who chairs the urban planning committee, said he and his fellow councilors are open to proposals from any service providers for the upgrading of the command center.
The current command center can accommodate calls from complainants.
However, it only has limited services, focusing more on crime monitoring and helping the police. It cannot respond to traffic problems as the latter is under the Cebu City Transportation Office’s jurisdiction.
This kind of setup often causes delay in response time to complaints, according to Zafra.
Zafra said there is a need to place the police and the disaster risk reduction and management office, among others, in one building, or in a single command center.
The councilor is hopeful that this will be realized within the first term of Labella. (JJL)