GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The Highway Patrol Group in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) is set to train more “motorcycle cops” to intensify the crackdown against motorcycle-riding criminals.
Maj. Roel Villarin, HPG-12 deputy chief, said Wednesday they are currently coordinating with the Police Regional Office-12 to roll out a series of training on motorcycle patrol and related operations.
Villarin said trained police personnel in every police station are not enough to cover all strategic areas in the region.
“We’re working on deploying motorcycle cops in all major public areas to counter the movement of these riding-in-tandem criminals effectively,” Villarin said in a radio interview.
He said the move is in line with the intensified operations ordered last week by President Rodrigo Duterte against motorcycle-riding criminals.
HPG offers a 45-day course on tactical skills in using motorcycles for the patrol teams of local police stations and other support units of the Philippine National Police. It includes riding safety, basic maneuver, firearms' handling while on motorcycles, and other related skills.
Pending the training of additional “motorcycle cops,” Villarin said they had intensified mobile personnel's deployment in identified crime-prone areas.
In this city, police already recorded at least 38 shooting incidents as of the end of September involving motorcycle-riding criminals. (PNA)
