Tourist-oriented police deployed in Araneta Center

Araneta Center Inc. (ACI) recently launched its very own Tourist-Oriented Police (TOP) team, dubbed as “TOPCOP,” to maintain peace and order all over the center’s environs and ensure the streaming in of tourists.

ACI said the move is expected to emulate Spain and Italy, considered the less developed among European countries but whose economy was buoyed by an upbeat tourism industry.

In a simple ceremony, two companies of police regiments pledged commitment in helping establish a safer community for visitors of Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City.

ACI president and chief operating officer Teofilo Asuncion Jr. explained that the launch of TOPCOP is just one of their initiatives to boost tourism not only in Araneta Center but also in Quezon City.

The center’s premiere business and entertainment hub is also now being positioned by the local government as a tourist site. The launch of tourist-oriented cops aims to rebuild Araneta Center into a model community of peace and progress. This is complemented by various physical improvement projects in the area.

“We would not achieve our objectives if we would not first address the security problem,” Asuncion said in his short speech during the launch. “A stable security is also crucial for continued business growth by generating confidence from potential investors.”

Asuncion cited that both local and foreign tourists frequent Araneta Center to dine, shop and patronize the bus terminals that take passengers all to Boracay and Mindanao.

Guest of honor National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) police director general Ricardo De Leon, meanwhile, stressed the importance of tourism in the country. “Spain and Italy are considered less developed countries in Europe but their economies survive because of their bullish tourism industry,” he said.

“Do your job, be a dedicated law enforcer and support the cause,” he advised the young cops. “Because one tourist may be equal to one job.”

[ Araneta Center Wiki ]