Monday, September 7, 2009

Bohol Wants Tourism Spots Gun-free

BOHOL police officials do not just want gun-free tourism areas here. 

In a recent move presented to the Provincial Tourism Council, PSSupt. Edgardo Ingking bared the plan to transform tourism areas into "Discipline Zones" (DZ). 

"We want to help create an environment to sustain Bohol's tourism potential by strictly imposing order, maintain and sustain the law enforcement efforts by making sure basic laws are followed," he told council members. 

The police proposal also dovetails with the out-going tourism council chairman Peter Dejaresco who said Bohol's greatest challenge is to sustain its tourism momentum. 

"Unchecked incivility and disorder breeds crime," Ingking, who may have this as his last legacy to Bohol before he bows out as provincial commander here stressed. 

In designated pilot tourism areas, he explained, police would go for zero crime tolerance on basic laws in traffic, squatting, pollution, illegal vending, sanitation and applicable local ordinances. 

In these areas, anti-littering, smoking areas, traffic laws, environmental laws, discipline and some local ordinances like stakeholder uniforms may be strictly enforced to impose order. 

To be implemented in tandem with the business sector, police and the civil society, the "Discipline Zone" plan creates a formidable force against crimes, he assured. 

Set to be a three phased plan, the DZ would start its three month pilot implementation after the stakeholders shall have identified the areas. 

Stakeholders would be trained, craft strategies and formulate plans, propagate the communication plan to generate awareness, deploy personnel and asses the situation monthly. 

The overall aim is to have the Department of Tourism (DOT) accredit the place as Discipline Zone, the Camp Dagohoy based cop said. 

Ingking admitted that the plan was an offshoot of the Environmental Security on Tourism workshop hailed by DOT Undersecretary Salvador Sarabia a few months ago. 

Asked which tourism areas he want to pilot, the top cop said he mulled the [plan for Panglao Island or Loboc, well established tourism areas already. (PIA) 

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