Zero gun related violence in San Carlos City

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

San Carlos City – Has this huge city infamously known as the “Wild West” of Pangasinan enjoys the security protection of Patrol 101?

Supt. Rodolfo Castro, Jr. (2nd from Left), chief of Police of
 San Carlos City, Pangasinan explains to OIC
Police Regional Office-1 Director Moro Virgilio Lazo (2nd from
right) the functions of Police C.A.R.T while Senior Supt.
Marlou Chan (extreme left) and acting Pangasinan
Police Office Director Sr.Supt. Sterling Raymond Blanco
look on.

According to Supt. Rodolfo Castro, Jr., chief of police here, this city known notoriously to have the most number of barangay (village) chairmen being gunned down by assassins has seen peace and tranquility in the October 28, 2013 village election because of  its zero gun related incidents.

“Kagaya ng barangay election walang shooting incident considering ang San Carlos ang pinakamaraming barangay captains na binaril and pinatay sa Pangasinan,”Castro stressed.

Castro said this city is where Police Patrol 101 has been aggressively implemented after its pilot testing in the nearby Malasiqui town when he was assigned there as chief of police.

He explained that Patrol 101 is a concept as an answer to the shortage of manpower of the police. This is where a squad (four men) marching with precision from one place to another. Aside from each of the policemen armed with .45 caliber handgun, the one at the rear dons an M-16 assault riffle.

He explained that Patrol 101 is intelligence driven.

 “It means patrollers do not contend themselves doing patrol work, they are being fed too with intelligence information so they are on their toes with the situation in the community,” he said in Filipino.

Patrol 101 was the brainchild of former Police Regional Office-1 Chief Supt. Ricardo Marquez and former acting Pangasinan Police Office Director Senior Supt. Marlou Chan during their incumbency last year in Region 1 and Pangasinan.

Patrol Visibility Guide: A patrol visibility map
 in San Carlos City, Pangasinan where major
 public and private establishments and the
 residences of prominent personalities in the
city have been designated with marks and
pictures by the police for effective
patrolling against criminals.  

“Sectorized ang areas. Kailangan ang regular patrol sa mga tirahan. So kailangan 12 plus 12 iyon ang basic component ng Patrol 101. Iyon ang mga basic components na gusto ni RD (regional director). Lahat iyan na complied namin”.

Castro showed to reporters a patrol visibility guide map of this city where major public and private establishments have been designated with colors and pictures and the residences of prominent personalities here have been pinpointed too for familiarization of his patrols.

He said a member of the squad should have the following: PNP prescribed patrol uniform, PNP marked vehicle, motorcycle with helmet for Motorized Anti-Street Crime Operatives (MASCO), M-16 rifle or shotgun, hand cuff, whistle, and night stick (batuta), handheld radio, cellular phone preferably with camera, individual notebook, pen, photo/video equipment, etc, reports (after patrol report, traffic accident report, check list, etc), measuring devise, flashlight, tape recorder, police line, etc., dossiers, contact numbers, flash alarm, missing person, list of loose firearms, address of GFH, possible target search warrant, very important persons, etc., intelligence driven armed patrollers with information, area familiarization: profile, political dynamics, area