A total of 80 new Central Visayas cops have been deployed to Bohol in a bid to boost the visibility of the province’s police force particularly in its busier areas including Tagbilaran City.

Tagbilaran City Police Office (TCPO) acting chief Supt. Patricio Degay Jr. told dyRD Balita more than half of the field training officers have been assigned in the province’s capital city.

According to Degay, 42 of the said policemen are now stationed in Tagbilaran while the remaining 38 were deployed in Tubigon.

Both Tagbilaran and Tubigon were pinpointed by the Police Regional Office 7 as largely populated areas in need of more police units due to various business establishments located in the areas, said Degay.

However, the field training personnel are unarmed and will only be stationed in key areas until 5 p.m., he added.

Still, the police chief acknowledged the augmentation force’s help in maintaining peace and order in the province’s crowded areas particularly during the Christmas season.

Degay, after taking over as acting police chief had earlier noted that the TCPO was undermanned.

He said that 30 more policemen were needed to heighten police visibility in barangays of Tagbilaran City and improve response time to distress calls particularly as theft and burglary cases have grown rampant. (RT)