A POLICE official urged the City Government to order businesses in Cagayan de Oro to hire at least one security guard for the safety of their customers during with their transactions.
Chief Inspector Henry D. Cay-as, Divisoria police station commander, said the City Government should include such requirement in addition to its “no CCTV, no renewal of business permit” policy so businesses would be compelled to hire security guards.
Cay-as said most shops and stores hit by robberies do not have security guards, and cited a courier company that was robbed off in a broad daylight on Friday.
He said the LBC branch at Capistrano Street does not have a security guard, which made it easier for the robbery suspects to pull off the holdup without even showing and pointing a gun to its cashier and employees.
“LBC-Capistrano had been repeatedly robbed because it doesn’t have a guard,” Cay-as told reporters hours after the robbery.
Cay-as said: “We even heard that it would be better for them to be robbed once or twice a year since they won’t lose that much. But if they hire a guard, they would be spending much for the guard’s salary in a year.”
He is even disappointed over the company’s management for its reluctance to cooperate disclosing how much was carted away from them.
“Well, it has an insurance that’s why it doesn’t bother them,” he said, but added: “The safety of their customers is at stake.”
“What if the customer will fight back and gets shot, it’s going to be a big trouble,” he said.
Cay-as said they were glad that no one from the customers or the employees of the establishment were hurt in the robbery.
But the police do not discount the possibility that most robbery incidents involving LBC outlets could be “an inside job.”
Cay-as said robbery incidents such as LBC-Capistrano damage the image of the city and the police force. Not hiring a security guard would only worsen as more establishments would be prone to robbery, he added.
The police have been reiterating their call for cooperation from the public in preventing crimes, as they cannot cover all corners of city due to shortage of law enforcers.
Councilor Ramon Tabor, in a radio interview on Saturday, favors the legislation requiring the establishments to have security officers for the safety of the employees and the customers.
Tabor, chairman on committee on police, fire and public safety, said the security of the transacting customers must be given weight.
He said the establishments must protect their properties and customers, as part of the firms’ social responsibility.
Tabor also challenged security agencies to refrain from tolerating companies to use their security guards as “service crews and sweepers.”
“It’s because mawala na ang ilang sense of security kay tua naman nahimong tigpayong, manilhig, tig-alsa sa kargamento,” he added.