DAVAO City will get an additional 500 police personnel to cope with the needs of the growing population and increased tourism arrivals, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said.
The mayor made the statement after meeting Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Alabayalde last week.
She said she discussed with Albayalde the need for more police personnel as the city grows into an investment hub in the Davao region.
“One of the concerns that I discussed with General Albayalde is the need of the city to expand its police personnel, especially that more people visited the city and that our population is growing as well,” she said.
Last year, the number of Davao City visitors reached two million. The number was pushed by several conventions and activity that Davao City had hosted. The deployment of additional police forces to the city was part of Duterte-Carpio's 10 priority agenda – under peace and order.
Albayalde also told reporters that the PNP will recruit 500 more police personnel for deployment.
He also promised that within the year, he will approve the proposal by the city government to expand the Davao City Police Office into a district office. The proposal called for the addition of two more police stations.
“Within the year, the request of the city will have its answer. Davao is much bigger than Quezon City and other cities in Metro Manila, it is just right to have a district police here to cope with the growing need for police personnel,” Albayalde said. (PR)