By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Bacolod City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, yesterday, said the 60 percent reduction in street crime the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) boasted about recently was a result of the increased police presence during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings back in March.
The reasoning is in contrast with the statement from BCPO Director, Police Senior Superintendent Jack Wanky, who credited the BCPO’s “Oplan: Bakbak,” an anti-criminality program, for the reduction in crime incidents.
The vice mayor also said the BCPO needs more police officers.
“Ideally, we are supposed to have police-to-population ratio of 1:500, however we have returned to 1:1,000,” he explained.
Familiaran, however, said he agreed with Wanky in that the agency still has a lot of room for improvement.
“During our previous meeting, I told Wanky the local police force must double their efforts, especially against illegal gambling,” the vice mayor said./WDJ