THE Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is forming the Tourist-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TopCop) to enhance tourist police operations and boost the local tourism industry.
Supt. Armando Tubongbanua, caretaker of BCPO, yesterday said the TopCop was initiated by the Department of Tourism national office in coordination with the Philippine National Police
A two-day TopCop training/seminar was held yesterday at the O’Hotel in Bacolod City and was attended by representatives of the DOT Region 6’s Rene Cortum, supervising tourism operations officer, personnel of BCPO, Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, and police units from Panay.
Policemen were oriented about basic investigation, ways in handling tourist related cases, principles of tourist safety, and tourist security protocol.
Tubongbanua said the TopCop was formed to show to the public, especially to foreign tourists, that the city police are friendly and hospitable.
He added that every police unit in the country is mandated to form a TopCop, and at the BCPO, the TopCop members will be deployed to the different police stations especially in tourist destinations and entry points in the city.