Alarm system for city proposed

Councilor Augustus "Jun" Pe Jr. has proposed for the establishment of an alarm system in the city that would allowed constituents to report robberies, thefts, and other crimes using their mobile phones.

Pe has filed a proposed ordinance for the development of the Mobile Alarm Remote System (Mars) within the city, as part of its campaign against crime.

Last April 28, the city government through Mayor Tomas Osmeña entered into a memorandum of agreement with Uni-Ventures Magnetics Corporation for the purchase an alarm system where city constituents can inform police of emergency situations and other forms of criminality with a single press of a button or a simple text message.

The message sent will then be transmitted into the main computer in City Hall that will set off the alarm and eventually inform all authorities of departments.

Immediately thereafter, the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) will block the traffic within the vicinity and police officials will advance and contain the area.

Should this proposed measure be approved, the city would set two classifications of subscribers for the Mars service: the first level and second level priority subscribers.

First level priority subscribers refer to subscribers who own sensitive establishments, such as banks, pawnshops and the like, and wherein alarm messages sent will be simultaneously transmitted to top police officials for immediate action.

Second level priority subscribers, on the other hand, refer to the remaining business establishments and individuals.

All establishments or individuals doling business within the city are encouraged to subscribe/register with the Mars service at City Hall and pay an initial P3,600 subscription fee for first level priority and P1,000 for second level priority. Service will be activated within 24 hours after the completion of their registration.

Under the proposed measure, the subscription fee shall be valid for one year and renewable every year upon payment of the corresponding subscription fees and which will be collected together with the renewal of their business permits.

One significant feature of the Mars service is that its line never gets busy unlike other emergency hotline numbers and that it can receive up to 1,000 text messages at one time.

The proposed measure emphasized that the alarm system is automatic and fast and has the capacity to store at least a million files, as it is programmed to record all incoming messages.

As such, accountability will be established on each reported crime.

The proposed ordinance was referred to the council's committee on laws during the city council's regular session last week.