San Fernando enforcers now equipped with body cameras

FOR MORE TRANSPARENT LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS. One of the enforcers of the City of San Fernando Public Order and Safety Coordinating wears a newly purchased body camera as he performs an operation in Barangay Dolores on January 20, 2021. (City of San Fernando Information Office)
FOR MORE TRANSPARENT LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS. One of the enforcers of the City of San Fernando Public Order and Safety Coordinating wears a newly purchased body camera as he performs an operation in Barangay Dolores on January 20, 2021. (City of San Fernando Information Office)

THE City Public Order and Safety Coordinating Office (CPOSCO) in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga is stepping up its protection and transparency efforts for its law enforcement operations as it launched new gears for its enforcers -- top of the line body-worn cameras.

The cameras were presented during a simultaneous operation of enforcers on January 20, 2021, in different critical areas for road and traffic violations in the City of San Fernando.

During the operation, CPOSCO Supervising Administrative Officer Joselito Ortaliz, Jr. said that safety is the primary intention of wearing body cameras among traffic enforcers.

“Ang mga body-worn camera ay isang malaking proteksyon para sa ating mga enforcer na kung saan mababantayan natin ‘yung mga nangyayari sa kalsada, kabilang na yung interaction nila sa publiko lalo na, isang metikulong proseso ang apprehension sa mga violators natin,” Ortaliz explained.

He added that the cameras will be of big help in fulfilling the enforcers’ duties as models of discipline and transparency for the public.

“Dahil sila ang tagapagtupad ng batas, kailangan sa sarili nila mismo ay may disiplina rin. Sa pagkakaroon ng body camera, magkakaroon ng monitoring ang ating tanggapan sa mga aktibidad ng ating mga enforcer,” he added.

For the initial phase, the City Government purchased 14 units of body-worn cameras with 2.4-inch display, 180 degrees rotatable lens, 1080p high-definition video output, and battery life that can last up to 10 hours with continuous recording.

For the next edition of procurement, the CPOSCO said it plans to add at least 30 units until it completes the provision of cameras for all its more than 120 enforcers.

For his part, Mayor Edwin “EdSa” Santiago expressed his utmost elation for this new project, stating that the City is gradually achieving its goal of being a smart and technology-driven locality.

“Nais ko pong ipahayag ang aking pagkatuwa dahil, unti-unti, nakakamit natin yung adhikain natin na maging smart at technology-driven city, dahil sa bagong proyektong ito ng ating CPOSCO. Pero ang pagiging smart at technology-driven city ay hindi lang makukuha sa pagkakaroon ng mga high-end na kagamitan, kung hindi dapat maayos din ang pamamalakad at paggamit sa mga ito ng ating mga tauhan na manggagaling naman sa kanilang disiplina,” Santiago said.

Since the units also have built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth features, the cameras will be linked to the City Command and Control Center in San Isidro to supplement to the existing hundreds of closed-circuit television or CCTV, bullet, and PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) cameras.

This means that the cameras will not only be used in capturing the enforcers’ transactions with the public but also for capturing responses to different incidents occurring along major roads and thoroughfares.

CPOSCO Operations Officer John Marvin Gervacio extended his gratitude, on behalf of his fellow enforcers, to the City Government for providing the new gears.

“Gusto po naming magpasalamat sa ating lokal na pamahalaan sa pagbibigay sa amin ng mga kagamitang ito. Sa tulong po nito, masisiguro yung safety at fairness sa aming mga nanghuhuli ng violators at siyempre, yung mga mismong violators din,” Gervacio said.

The CPOSCO will be handling the daily collection of camera footage from the enforcers to undergo extraction, review, and archiving procedures.

For the period of January to December 2020, the CPOSCO recorded a total of 18,625 violations from a total of 17,720 violators, 5,843 of which were identified as Fernandinos while the other 11,877 were non-residents. (PR)

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